Legend: Dark Beginning
by SarissaDiablo
Summary: A Legend spoken at the beginning of time, and three men who were born to make it come true. Will Cloud, Sephiroth and Zach be able to get through their pasts, in order to face their future? Torture/rape scenes, blood, yaoi and language. Warning:Dark
1. Sorrow

**I don't own any of the characters, it's just my own twisted ideas. I tried keeping this story as true to the games, and movie as possible, but there were some things I just had to change. If you read it, you'll see. ;) This is my first attempt at a FanFic, so please review, and tell me what you think! Thanks, and enjoy!**

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Cloud woke up to the sunlight streaming across his eyes. Blinking them, he sat up, and a sharp pain went though his heart. A slender hand reached up, to place the palm over his heart. Tears filled the brilliant blue eyes, and one name floated across his thoughts. Sephiroth. He had killed him for the third time in his life. The only person on this planet that he had ever, truly loved, and he struck him down. Shaking the blonde spikes, Cloud rose to his feet, a small smile curling his lips as he heard the sounds of children's laughter. 'I guess more people have come to visit the church,' he thought. Shedding his clothing, he walked to the shower, his glowing blue eyes troubled. 'How did I ever let myself fall so hard, and so fast?' Turning the water on, he let it get as hot as possible, before stepping in. Ducking his head under, he remembered…

_Cloud was standing under the hot spray of the shower, listening as the last boy left the room. He let out a long sigh, body trembling with exhaustion. Zach had been particularly hard this evening, making sure he had all the forms right for the SOLDIER test in a couple weeks. He reached for the soap, quickly washing and rinsing his body, before soaping his hair. So intent he was on making sure the sweat and grime was out of his blonde locks, he did not hear the door quietly open and close. Rinsing his head off, he smiled at the feeling of being clean. He felt a faint brush of fingertips against his back, and snapped around, only to meet a pair of glowing jade eyes. _

"_General," Cloud whispered. A sardonic smile graced Sephiroth's lips, as he gazed into the blue eyes of the youth in front of him. He had watched him with Zach tonight, from the observatory above the training yard. Watching the pale-skinned youth had sent a surprising shiver up his spine. Who was this boy that could turn him on so easily? He watched the muscle play in the blonds' arms, the sweat that slowly made its way down his face. He had to resist the urge to go down there, and seduce the boy where he stood. The Generals hands curled into fists, and his glowing jade eyes brightened even more with heat, even though his face remained stoic. He watched as they put down their practice swords, and Zach walked over to the youth and hugged him around his shoulders, a beaming smile on his face. Sephiroth nodded to himself. Zach should be proud. The boy showed great promise, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would pass the SOLDIER exams with flying colors, probably making it into 1__st__ Class. The boy took off, presumably to take a shower and call it a night. As he passed through the doors, Sephiroth vaulted over the railing, and landed lightly on his feet by Zach. The dark haired man jumped and leveled his sword at him, swearing under his breath when he realized who it was._

"_Damnit Seph, you scared the hell out of me," Zach said angrily. Sephiroth smirked, and nodded his head a little in apology._

"_Who was that boy?" he asked. Zach raised his eyebrow, and suddenly grinned._

"_So Spike finally got your attention, huh?" Zach laughed as Sephiroth blushed slightly. "His name is Cloud Strife. He came from a small town, don't know where. He's 16, going to take the exam in a couple weeks, and since he's so small, I've been helping him out." Zach watched his friends eyes fill with interest and he gloated on the inside. If this silver haired man ever knew the depth Cloud's love was for him…things could get interesting. "All of the other recruits pick on him horribly."_

"_Why? Is he the one you've been telling me about?" Zach nodded, and walked over to the racks to put the practice sword away. _

"_He is small, pretty rather then handsome, and is not a very outgoing person. Remind you of someone?" Zach turned to Sephiroth with a smirk on his face. Sephiroth winced inwardly as the unwanted images that rose up in his mind. At one time, he was picked on, and ruthlessly treated. He only had four friends total, Zach being one of them, even though he could hardly count Angeal and Genesis as friends anymore. He nodded to Zach, and walked out the door, intending to find the boy, and see if he wanted some extra lessons in swordplay. Every good intention left his mind as he walked into the shower room to see Cloud standing under the steaming water. He barely remembered taking off his clothing, even his boots, his jade eyes glued to the water running down the pale, enticing skin of the boy in front of him._

_Cloud looked up at the man before him, and only then did he take in the fact that he was wearing nothing but his black leather pants. Even his shoes were gone. He felt a blush rise into his cheeks as he looked down at the floor, trying his hardest not to react to the presence of the man before him. He heard the man in front of him chuckle softly, and as the sound shivered down his spine, he felt his groin twitch in response. A hand moved to grasp his chin, and raise it up, making him meet the Generals eyes. _

"_You have beautiful eyes," Sephiroth whispered, finding himself lost in those sapphire depths. He watched Clouds eyes dilate, and grow darker with desire as his lips parted in a silent invitation. Seph took it, and pressed their lips together. Cloud groaned softly as the Generals lips met his, and his hand came up of its own accord to rest lightly on his bare chest. Sephiroth growled softly at the feel of the boys hand on his chest, even with every part of his brain telling him to run, to get away, he couldn't seem to pull his lips away. He moved in closer, the hand that was on Clouds chin moving to the back of his head. He only had a moment to marvel at the soft feeling of the seemingly hard spikes, before Cloud rose onto his tiptoes, pressing their bodies together. The sound of the door coming open made him jump back, a blush rising furiously to his cheeks as he glared at Zach, who was grinning widely._

"_I'll just leave you two alone then," he said, and laughed as both Cloud and Sephiroth glared murder at him. "I was just making sure Spiky hadn't drowned. Have fun!" He whistled gaily as he went back through the door. Sephiroth looked at Cloud, and could not help but smile slightly at the suppressed mirth in those blue eyes._

"_What's so funny, youngling?" he asked, but could not keep the smile from his voice. Cloud finally couldn't stand it, and broke down laughing, having to brace himself against the wall._

"_Your face, sir," he said in a breathy voice. The affronted look on Sephiroth's face only made him laugh harder, until even the General had to chuckle._

"_I suppose it was comical, at least a little," he admitted. Those impossibly bright eyes took in the naked, wet form in front of him, and was instantly hard again. However, he knew that it would never be, at least until the boy passed his SOLDIER exams. He reached over, and turned off the water, before handing Cloud a towel. As Cloud wrapped it around himself, the General found himself offering something he hadn't to anyone._

"_The original reason I came in here," he started, and then smirked as Clouds blush went from almost non-existent to fully red in a heartbeat. "Anyway, I was going to offer you lessons. You have promise, and it would be a shame for it to go to waste." Cloud gaped at him, and Sephiroth could see his mind working furiously. Crossing his arms, he waited._

"_Me?" it came out as a squeak. "But, sir, I'm the smallest and the weakest out of our group!" Sephiroth nodded._

"_That's exactly the reason why I would like to give you extra lessons. I can also give you exercises to help build muscle."_

"_I would be very much honored, General Sir, if you would give me lessons," Cloud said, bowing slightly. A sly comment went through his mind, and he has been around Zach to long to let it go unsaid. _

"_You never know, sir," he said with a grin, looking up at those beautiful jade eyes. "Maybe I might get good enough to beat you one day." Sephiroth chuckled, and putting an arm around his shoulders, led them both out of the shower room. Neither even knew how prophetic those words would turn out to be._

Cloud turned off the water, stepping out and wrapping a towel around his lean hips. He raised a hand and traced the slightly red scar on his shoulder, where Sephiroth's blade went in yesterday. He sighed, pushing the thoughts from his head for the time being, and walked into his room. Forgoing his usual clothing; they needed to be washed anyway, he quickly donned a black tank top, and black jeans. He attached the sheath for his sword, left off the heavy shoulder guard, and slipped Zach's belt on. He quickly and quietly went out the door, and climbed on his motorcycle. Starting it up, he raced though the city on his way to the Tower, ignoring the startled face of Tifa through the bar's front window.

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Reaching the base of the ShinRa Tower, he gazed up at the ruined building. Sliding the main sword into its sheath, he left the rest in the bike, and strode up to the ruined building. Jumping nimbly from place to place, he reached the top as it started to rain. Standing there, looking around at what was his love's last and final place to die, the pain came back into his heart. Before Cloud could even reach his hand up to rub the spot, a glimmer of metal caught his eye. Walking over to it, he realized it was Sephiroth's sword. Gazing at it more closely, he smiled. It was the same length as the Masamune, but double bladed like Kadaj's was. 'This would have been perfect for him,' he thought. Suddenly, he was thrown into a field of flowers, the smell of them, as always, making him smile and breath deep.

"Cloud," the soft female voice sounded troubled. Cloud frowned, and turned, barely keeping his feet as Aeris threw herself into his arms.

"Aeris, what's wrong?" he said, holding her tightly. She started crying, and looked up at him with her beautiful green eyes.

"I…I need you to do something for me," she said quietly. "You also need to bring that sword and Zach's as well." At that, he raised his eyebrow, and held her at arms length, staring at her.

"Why?" the question was full of suspicion, and she flinched just hearing it. Aeris gave him a small smile, and hoped he would just do as she asked.

"I need you to go Nibelheim, to the mansion," she said quickly, and disappeared, leaving him once again standing in the rain. He frowned, and shook his head. Even though he didn't want to go back, he knew he would, for her. He found a way to slide the long sword through one of the sheaths on his back, and with a heavy sigh, went to retrieve the other one.

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He pushed open the rusted gates, and stopped, staring at the place that was the beginning of the end of his life. The mansion still stood, tall and proud against anything anyone could throw against it. Standing on the edge of a natural cliff, surrounded by a primal forest, it still had the power to make him stop and stare. He shook off the memories that were threatening, and began walking up the path, Zach's sword, and Sephiroth's, clenched in his fists. His own, every sword in its place, was hanging at his back. Slowly he made his way up, until Aeris's voice in his mind made him glance to the right, and see the path that veered off around the mansion, disappearing into the forest. Stepping onto it, he felt a brush of rightness in his mind. Shrugging it off, he kept going, his heart slowly speeding up, afraid, and slightly eager to see what was at the end.

It took two hours, but he reached the end, where it leveled off to become a plateau, with nothing but trees and empty air all around. Even this deep in the forest, the glow reached his eyes before anything else, and he knew what he would find before he reached the top of the path. A pond of pulsing, green light emerged as he took a couple steps into the trees. 'The Lifestream,' he thought. Setting the two blades down, his eyes narrowed as Aeris took shape in the glowing light, and smiled at him.

"I'm happy you actually came," she said.

"What is this place?" Cloud asked, walking nearer to the edge.

"It is a natural connecting point for the Lifestream. This is where Hojo got the mako he used in the mansion."

"So what am I doing here?" Aeris motioned him closer, and even though he was beginning to be a little worried, he took those couple steps forward, and noticed what seemed to be two submerged logs. Aeris reached down, and grabbing them, she pulled them to the surface. Cloud felt frozen, his heart beating wildly as fear, elation, and a multitude of other emotions ran through him. 'No…no no no, not this,' he thought frantically to himself. He staggered back a couple steps as a pair of jade cat eyes, and eyes the deep, swimming violet of the ocean opened simultaneously. He sat down hard, staring at the two of them.

"No no no…" he whispered. "Aeris, what did you do?" It was the silver haired angel who answered, walking out of the pond with his eyes glowing, a small smile on his face.

"We came back for you, Cloud." Sephiroth held out his hand, his body pale, beautiful, and naked. The blond held up a hand, but not to take the other, to rest his head in it. His vision was going blurry, and being this close to the Lifestream wasn't helping. He staggered to his feet, just as Zach walked to stand at Sephiroth's side, his usual carefree grin in place.

"No," Cloud whispered, his voice full of anguish. "This is a dream, your not real, you can't be! You're both dead! Dead!" With that final word screamed in their faces, he turned and ran, even though he heard their voices calling for him to stop. He ran until he reached the mansion, bursting through the doors. Not knowing any other place to go, he raced down the steps to the basement, not stopping until he was at the final ascent that would take him up to the place where Jenova was held. He dragged himself up the stairs, until he finally collapsed on the edge of the pit, where he could see the Lifestream pulsing below. Tears ran freely from his eyes, and he was whispering 'Why?' repeatedly, like a prayer. Curling himself into a ball, he let the tears run freely until his mind shut down, and his body followed.


	2. Redemption

**This might get a little odd, from here on out. I had a wild idea, so I'm trying to run with it. As always, I don't own the characters, SquareEnix does, the lucky bastards. :) Review please!**

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A sharp, violent ringing sounded in his ears, jarring him awake. Cloud opened his eyes to dawn brightness, and a most magnificent sight. Both men from the day before we locked into a duel, but both of them were grinning fiercely, enjoying themselves way to much. The blonds' breath caught in his throat at the sight they made, and before he blinked, they launched into a flurry of strikes and blows. Zach's hair was longer then before, reaching down to the middle of his back, even though it still in spikes, one faithfully falling across his face still. Sephiroth's was longer as well, reaching down to brush his ankles. Cloud sat up on the bed, wrapping his arms around his legs, and was content to just watch them, as he used to do back when they were training him. Laying his chin on one of his knees, he unfocused his sight, and settled into the quiet corner of his mind. From there, thanks to Hojo, he could watch people fight, and absorb their moves, without needing the training. The training…always the training. They had drilled him every day in the weeks before his test, never giving him time off.

His mind drifted off, strangely comforted by the clashing of the swords. It reminded him of all the times they had fought, just to show him certain moves, that they would then make him practice. Soon enough, he was able to beat both Zach and Sephiroth, a feat only two other people could claim. The day following the incident in the shower was the first day he had seen Seph and Zach spar. It was amazing, both of them wielding their unique swords with unmatched skill and flair.

He knew his training was paying off though, as he could feel the tightness in his body, the way he sure-footedly walked, and most especially how everyone treated him with more respect, some… Cloud smiled slightly at the thought. Well, some treated him even worse. As he slid into the memory of one such encounter, he felt what seemed like doors opening in his mind, but he paid them no attention as he remembered.

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_Cloud wiped his bloody nose on an already bloody fist. He stood tall, a small smirk on his face as he watched his opponent calmly. There was no one else around, because Silas didn't want other people to know. He didn't want them to know whom the fight was about. Cloud had never made known his sexual preference, preferring to just let people wonder, and didn't care what decision they came up with. Silas made it loud and clear he was straight, making sure everyone knew it. So, of course, this fight was about Sephiroth._

"_You're such a little bitch," the other boy hissed, wiping his face clear of the blood. They were going to get in trouble for this, but neither cared at this point. Cloud shook his head, smiling sadly. Oh, how he wished there was something between him and the General, but Sephiroth was being very careful. They were only seen together in front of someone. Usually Zach, so people had started talking about that as well. Two 1__st__ Class SOLDIER's were training a scrawny, short waste of time. Because of his size, many of them failed to notice the slight growth of all his muscles, the dangerous way he moved. He was one of those who was slender, but built like a whipcord. Strong, durable, and fast. Shrugging, Cloud across the brick paved lane at the black haired boy._

"_So you got some lucky hits in," he said softly, a mocking lilt to it, but the smile was cold as snow. Silas blinked, and he saw the most memorable personality had left a distinct impression on Cloud. With the hesitation it took him, realizing that Cloud wore Sephiroth's small, arrogant smile, Cloud already had him by the throat and was shoving him against a wall. He held him there as Silas beat at him with his fists, growing weaker with each futile struggle. Cloud didn't even feel the blows that were being rained on him, eyes cold and anger hot. When Silas was almost passed out, Cloud relieved the pressure, and moving in close, he whispered in the others ear._

"_You never hesitate with your opponent," and stopped, his eyes going wide, and almost frightened, as a soft voice behind him finished the rule._

"_Because hesitating can get you, or your men, killed," Sephiroth finished. Cloud slowly turned around, his eyes widening even more at the sight of Zach standing next to the General, before going to the ground. Ignoring the man on the ground behind him gasping for breath, he walked slowly over to the two SOLDIER's, and bowed before them, a fine trembling starting in his hands. It was only two weeks before the exam, and he knew this could get him in serious trouble. He straightened, and still could not look at them, so he clasped his hands behind his back, and spoke, "I await your punishment, sir."_

_Sephiroth's mouth was set in a grim frown. To find the two of them fighting was a serious punishment, but before he could speak, Silas spoke from behind Cloud._

"_Don't let him lie to you," he croaked, throat hoarse from where Cloud had choked him. Zach didn't miss how Clouds eyes flashed a brilliant blue before he tensed, but didn't say a word. "I was walking towards the chocobo stables, and as I turned a corner, his fist came out of no where and-" He wasn't able to finish the statement as Cloud rounded on him, with a move so fast that he was gone before either men could try to stop him. He launched himself at Silas, slamming him back against the same wall, his forearm across his throat this time._

"_Why don't you tell them what it really was about," Cloud hissed into the air, the pure hatred and rage in those words making both men stop and stare. Zach knew he was seeing years of abuse coming to a head. This boy had done something to seriously piss Cloud off. "Why don't you tell the General that this fight was about him? That you're jealous because I'm closer to him now then you could ever dream of being."_

_Sephiroth took a closer look at the other boy. Cloud wasn't choking him anymore, but his words held Silas immobile. Yes, he remembered now. This boy had tried seducing him, on multiple occasions. His suggestions were crude, and not even his looks could attract Sephiroth's eye. He had ignored him, like he had done so many others, and the boy stopped. He started to walk forward, but slowed down upon hearing Clouds next words._

"_I won him over with friendship, no matter what you, or anyone else fucking believes. You, and the people like you completely disgust me. Sephiroth's body may not be human anymore, but his soul is, just like the rest of us." His voice had lowered until it was a hoarse growl, and when he looked up at the man, his voice caught at the look in those jade eyes. The words died in his throat, and he pushed himself away from Silas, knowing the silver haired angel had seen the truth in his eyes. The truth he has tried to hide from everyone, including himself. Chocking back a sob, he threw himself down the path that would lead out of ShinRa, out into Midgar. He heard a shocked curse, and footsteps took off after him. Cloud didn't bother looking back; he knew who it was running after him. The knowledge only made him run faster, tears streaming from his face as he fought to deny his love for Sephiroth. _

_Never stopping once, Cloud ran through the streets, taking the shortest route until he could reach the dying forest that lay beyond. Even now, with his mind sick with what just happened, the training took over. No one saw their mad dash through the streets, the fact that it was 4 a.m. helping quite a bit. Bursting through the edge of the trees, he quickly caught a game trail, and as he ran, the moonlight shining through the bare branches, the exercise finally cleared his head. 'Why can't I love him?' he thought. He slowed in a natural clearing, the moonlight shining upon them in a perfect circle. His breath came easily to his lungs. Slowly he turned, and found Sephiroth standing behind him, no more out of breath then he. He started to move forward, but Cloud held up his hand, stopping him. He knew that no matter what happened between them tonight, Sephiroth would have to give a punishment, and Cloud would take it just as easily. It was how it worked. He grinned suddenly, a wicked light building a smoldering fire in his eyes. His hands flexed as he saw an answering heat in his angel's eyes. _

"_Cloud," the one word, said so softly, like a lover's caress. Cloud shivered, and decided, 'fuck it.' He darted in, and capturing Sephiroth's mouth with his, he gave him a searing kiss. Sephiroth could only move his mouth against Clouds, his mind stunned, his body frozen as a flash of desire shot through him, so intense it hardened him instantly. He reached for the blonds arms, and in an instant Cloud was gone. Sephiroth opened his eyes slowly, to see Cloud at the other side of the clearing watching him. With the same smile, he was gone down the trail again, and Sephiroth couldn't help but follow, his heart pounding. He gave himself over to the chase, knowing that when he caught Cloud, the boy would know the true meaning of being prey. He gave no thought to the fact that Cloud was only 16, even though he would be 17 in only a week._

_Cloud did not see the small root that tripped him. What he remembered is running, and then suddenly he was flying, a fierce growl at his back. Then he was grabbed from the air, and shoved ruthlessly against the hard bark of a tree. He opened his eyes to find glowing jade eyes staring down at him. His breath caught in his throat at the leashed violence in that gaze, his body tightening and pulsing with fear and desire. Sephiroth dragged him against his body and Cloud could only growl in pleasure as his hands went up to bury in the older mans hair. _

_Sephiroth moaned deep in his throat at the feeling of the clenched fists in his hair. 'A little bit of pain can go a long way,' he thinks, before he throws Cloud down onto the ground. He had to grab the boys' wrists and hair to keep him from running again. Though now he was on his stomach, and Sephiroth had him trapped. Cloud growled, and the older man could only smile as he let go of Clouds hair to rip off the flimsy shirt the boy had on. _

"_Why try to run?" Sephiroth whispered in Clouds ear. Cloud's back arched at the breath that tickled his ear. He tried once again to get away, but Sephiroth grabbed him around the chest, and pulled their bodies together, effectively trapping him with his other hand still holding the blonds wrists. Fear and a heady desire shot through Cloud, heightening all his senses. He felt Sephiroth's heart beating heavily against his spine, and he couldn't help the small whimper of pleasure that escaped him when he felt that long, silver hair sweep across his naked torso. Sephiroth had bowed his head to take the soft skin of his shoulder into his teeth. He nibbled gently at first, and then bite hard suddenly. Cloud gasped, arching his back, and rubbing himself against the erection pressing against him, so hard even the feel of it made Cloud gasp again._

_Cloud was past that line where pain was pleasure, and every shooting pain through his shoulder went directly down, hardening him so he couldn't help but make soft cries. Suddenly his hands were free and Sephiroth's lips were at his neck, biting sharply but quickly, his other arm snaking around to trap both of Clouds down. His hands flew up to grab Sephiroth's when the older man bit down hard enough to draw blood. A different sort of release tore its way though Clouds body. Not a physical one, but something different. Before Cloud could even think of it, Sephiroth was growling in his ear, and all thoughts were scattered._

"_I want to fuck you." Cloud could only nod, gasping for breath. Sephiroth smiled, and reached down to the other mans pants, undoing them, before quickly ripping them down, exposing all of his milk and honey skin. He slipped his fingers into his lips, before reaching down, running a fingernail down Clouds spine, hard enough to leave a bright red line. He felt Clouds eagerness as his slender fingers gently pushed into the boy. Sephiroth shivered at the feel of the tight muscles closing around his fingers, as he moved them slowly, widening him more. Cloud couldn't think as every touch of the others mans fingers made him catch his breath, his body tightening almost to the point of pain, and the pain just made it worse, or better. He couldn't decide._

"_Sephiroth," Cloud gasped out. His voice deep, and hoarse with desire. "Please…please, I want you inside me." Sephiroth growled his answer, which only made Cloud growl back, pleading in his voice. Sephiroth removed his fingers to unhook himself, palming himself before slowly working his way into Clouds body. Cloud tensed and cried out, because with Sephiroth's size there was no way it wouldn't hurt slightly with the limited amount of foreplay they did. Even so, it felt really damn good. Sephiroth almost stopped, because he thought it might be cry of serious pain, but then Cloud began to move his body on him, short little strokes, inching him in deeper. He lost it at the sight of their bodies pressed so intimately together. Pushing Cloud down until he was on his hands and knees, he began thrusting into him. _

_Cloud groaned, hands clenching in the leaves and dirt. It felt so damn good. He reached down, intending to help himself, but Sephiroth caught his hands. He leaned over the smaller man, and linked fingers, effectively keeping his hands out of it. His thrusts slowed, and he pressed his lips to the curve of Clouds ear. _

"_I'm not done with you yet," he growled, and caught his breath as Clouds body tightened, and he almost came. He stopped completely, and caught his breath. Cloud grinned fiercely at the shuddering in Sephiroth's body against his, and keeping himself tight, he began moving himself. Sephiroth couldn't breath, couldn't think at the feeling of Clouds body sliding against him. He threw his head back, and gave himself over to the feeling, letting go of Clouds hands. He reached down, and cupped Cloud in his hand, stroking him in time with his thrusts. His eyes were glued to where their bodies met, and when he felt that delicious warmth start to seep through him, he whispered in Clouds ear. _

"_I want you to come for me, Cloud," and at his name, Cloud shuddered as his orgasm ripped through him, a muffled scream coming from between clenched teeth. Three hard thrusts and Sephiroth came too, frozen for a moment at the release. They both let out an explosive breath at the same time, and Sephiroth draped himself over the smaller man, resting his hands next to his, and laying his head on his shoulder. Cloud couldn't move, and wasn't even sure his legs would work. Finally, Sephiroth's soft chuckle brought him around._

"_What's so funny?" Cloud said softly, but he was smiling. _

"_I've been watching you for months," Sephiroth said quietly, drawing himself out. He was quiet for a moment as he got everything straightened out. Cloud took the hint, and buttoned himself up, wondering where his shirt went._

"_In all that time, I've imagined how this would go, the different scenarios'. I have to admit, this was not any of the ones I envisioned." Cloud laughed, getting to his feet, and slowly stretching, grinning as he watched the other mans reaction. 'This is going to be interesting,' he thought. _

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Cloud came back to himself, glad his knees were at his chest, because remembering the first time they had sex always made him impossibly hard. In the back part of his brain, he knew the two other men had stopped fighting a while ago, and as he tuned back into them, he felt the heat in his body drop from boiling, to freezing. The strange sensation of doors slamming shut in his mind was there too, but at the look in their eyes, all coherent thought went out the window. They were both staring at him, Sephiroth with a blazing heat in his eyes, and Zach with amazement. He swallowed hard, and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What?" Cloud said. Sephiroth took a step towards him, but Cloud jumped up, standing at the end of the bed.

"Don't come any closer, damnit," he said angrily. Sephiroth opened his mouth, and then scowled, looking at Zach. He cleared his throat, and looking between the two for a moment, before settling on Clouds glowing eyes.

"Spike," he said, with a little embarrassment in his voice. Clouds heart stopped beating. No... "We saw man. We both just saw what you were just thinking. The fight. Everything."

Cloud stared at them for a moment.

"Fuck."


	3. Understanding

He ran. It was all he could think of as he stared in horror at the other men. Clouds feet flew over the bare stone, and then suddenly it was dirt as he veered off onto the path where he found them. 'I can't,' he thought, tears filling his eyes as he blindly fought forward. He felt Sephiroth and Zach at his back, and he was forced to blink, as the tears finally spilled over. In that moment, his foot caught on a root, and hysterical laughter filled his head as he fell to his hands and knees, head hanging between his arms. Sephiroth and Zach came up, and stood a couple feet away, concern on both their faces.

"How can I still feel this for you?" Cloud whispered hoarsely. "You killed everything, I have ever loved. My mother, the people in the village." His voice finally cracked, and he sat down, slowly turning to face the other men as he did. "I know it wasn't you, but at the same time, it was. Even with Jenova controlling you, there was still a part of you in there. The way you smiled, the way you laughed. All the subtle body movements that let me know it was still _you._" His voice had grown deeper, and he slowly raised his head, until his blond hair was lit from within with the glowing sapphire of his eyes. Cloud pushed himself to his feet, standing straight, and looking them in the face. He was not that boy any longer. He had become a man, and he was of equal rank to them.

"I will feel nothing for you," he said softly, voice cold. Not with anger, no. It was a different kind of cold, the one that said there was nothing there. And given the sparkling glow of his eyes, that much anger deserved some sort of inflection. It was frighteningly beautiful. And suddenly they were all thrown through their mental doorways with violent force. It wasn't one of Clouds though. It was one of Sephiroth's.

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"_Come to me, my darling. We will make them pay for what they did to you." Jenova was whispering so sweetly in his ear, Sephiroth could not resist. Somewhere deep inside him, a part was screaming no, but he pushed it aside. _

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'I realize now, that I should of listened to that voice.' Sephiroth's voice slid through his mind, and Cloud twitched once, before he was thrown to the ground, along with the other two, as the memory dragged them back in, and locked the doors.

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_He looked at the destruction around him, the blood that was slowly dripping down his Masamune, collecting on his very white hand. He had stripped his gloves off, so he could better feel the power he was wielding. Never had he felt so alive, so loved. The annoying voice in his head screamed again, before he ruthlessly cut it off, and he never heard it again. Walking up the path towards the mansion, he encountered a man, who tried to say something, but he was beyond trying to hear what they had to say. With a single upwards movement of his arm, a flick of his wrist, and the man was on the ground, no longer an obstacle. He continued onwards, passing through the silent corridors, until he came to the doorway that led down to the basement. Stepping through the entrance, his Mothers voice hit him so strongly, that for a moment all he could do was lean against the wall, holding his head. _

"_I'm coming, Mother," he whispered, and started down the steps again. He came to a platform, and looked up, for he was in a natural cave of some kind. Luminous containers lined the walkway upwards and the walls, giving the entire place a surreal look. Little did he know that the color of the containers lit his own eyes, and they slowly lightened until they were the palest green, edged in black. Mako trailed upwards from him eyes as he started absorbing the power, and his silver hair took on a sheen of the ethereal green. As he began to move upwards through the containers on either side of him, his nails began to glow, and as he reached the final landing, it began to burn through his veins, till his very skin was burning green, edge in white. 'Footsteps,' he thought mildly, turning towards the source. _

"_Sephiroth!" Tifa screamed. He raised an eyebrow at the young woman. If she insisted on fighting, she would be cut down. He idly wondered if she realized that, as she took a couple steps up. "Why kill my father? I brought you here, why would you do this to us!? We did nothing to you!" She screamed at him as she took the final step, launching her body at the tall man. She actually caught him unawares, and got in a solid kick to his jaw, before he punched her in the sternum, with enough force to make her go flying back down the stairs. He turned back towards the inner cave, and slowly walked over the threshold, his mind completely shut down now, only obeying what his Mother was telling him. He was standing in front of her now, gazing up as the polished metal coffin that held her. He turned again at the sound of footsteps, only to see Zach behind him, sword out, and gleaming. _

_----------_

The sensation of returning to his body had Cloud feeling almost sick, before he was wrenched into another. Now it was Zach's turn.

----------

"_Sephiroth?" he said quietly, for the first time afraid of his friend. It was an odd feeling. Sephiroth stood with his back towards Zach, his entire body clothed in green fire. It was beautiful, in a very macabre way. Each flame seemed to be edged in white. For all this mans reputation, it had never occurred to Zach to be afraid of the man standing in front of him. He took a small step forward and suddenly raised his sword as Sephiroth's came whistling down at him. They met in a shower of sparks, and their eyes met. Zach swallowed, looking into the taller mans burning eyes. This was not the Sephiroth that he had known. This was a different man entirely. As their blades smacked off each other, Zach was a little to slow, his shock at the state his friend was in not giving him the edge that he needed. Sephiroth's sword caught him across the stomach, and he felt a sharp pain though his upper chest. He cried out, and looked down at the gleaming sword that was thrust completely through him. Sephiroth lifted him on the blade, and with a small laugh, threw him hard enough against the wall that he broke pipes. Unable to breathe, let alone move, he watched as Sephiroth walked up to the metal that encased Jenova, and ripped it away, exposing the glowing blue cylinder. Jenova floated in it, and Sephiroth splayed his hands across the smooth surface, a smile on his face. He barely heard the other man whisper, "I'm here, Mother," before a wave of dizziness possessed him, and all he could do was breathe. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Cloud with his sword stabbed through Sephiroth's middle. The older mans blood dripped down the container, the look on his face scary in its peacefulness. _

"_Cloud," the silver haired man whispered, but Zach couldn't make out the growled words that left Clouds lips. He ripped his sword out, and then ran down the steps. The brunette tried to stand, and found that he couldn't. He tensed as the slender, jade-eyed figure wavered toward him, one hand clasped tightly around the Masamune, the other pressed to his stomach, where his red blood was mixing with the fire that seemed to burn even brighter now. He stopped right in front of Zach, and all he could do was look up at the man, to hurt to even speak._

"_I am so sorry," Sephiroth whispered brokenly, the spirit in his eyes back to being his own. "This was never what I wanted. I can't fight her off anymore. Tell Cloud that I'm sorry." His body snapped to attention as Jenova ruthlessly took over, and he made his way over to the threshold, and back down the stairs. He blacked out for a moment, and when his eyes opened again, he watched in a horrified silence as Cloud screamed in Sephiroth's face, and dragged himself down the sword that was piercing his middle. As he came down, he punched the older man as hard as he could, sending him flying hard against the wall. Cloud had dropped to his knees, holding the hilt of the Masamune, where it was pressed snugly against his skin. He slowly toppled over onto his side, and Zach found the strength to crawl to his friend, seeing that the sword hadn't pierced his stomach. It was going right through his heart._

"_Cloud, no," Zach said softly. He didn't even look up as a pale hand came into view, and savagely ripped the sword out. Zach raised his eyes until he met Sephiroth's, and the other man just smiled slightly, before moving to the container where Jenova was held. Zach held his hands against Clouds chest, trying to hold the blood inside, and crying because he knew that it was no use. As he felt the strong heart underneath his hands give a mighty final beat, he heard breaking glass, and looked up in time to watch Sephiroth grasp Jenova's head, before ripping it from its bindings. Finally, the blood loss and grief caught up to him. The last thing he saw was Sephiroth falling into the pit below, before blackness consumed him._

_----------_

They were all jolted from the memories, and before any of them could even open their mouths, they were gently drawn in to a field of flowers. Aeris was standing there, and she glared at Cloud.

"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled, stalking up to Cloud, and poking him with the tip of her finger. He opened his mouth to ask her what the hell was going on with them being able to share their memories, but she scowled at him. "Here these two came back because of you, and all you can do is push them away? Zach wasn't even going to come back, but Sephiroth convinced him to. You should be thanking him, not pushing him away!" She threw up her hands, and then walked over to the other two. She turned so her body was in the middle of the other two, and all three of them stared at Cloud. He fidgeted under the three glowing gazes, and pushed himself to his feet, everything flowing away under the tide of his anger.

"What? You're getting mad at me, because I don't want to be around Sephiroth? I'm ok with Zach. He was the one that tried to keep me alive, the one who was there as I was screaming in agony in the hands of Hojo. Where was Sephiroth? Oh yea, he's the one who put me there!" Cloud screamed it at them, and gathering himself, he broke the vision.

He sat up, breathing hard, and quickly got to his feet as he noticed the other two on the ground, not moving. He walked around them, and slowly made his way back to the mansion, swerving at the last minute to go into town. He could not deal with this now. He was going to go get some clothes, and retrieve his bike.


	4. Explanations

Zach and Sephiroth were talking softly as Cloud came back into the room, and they both broke off, and looked up at him. Cloud shook his head, and walked over to them slowly, dumping a bundle of clothes and food at their feet. Where they had gotten the ragged jeans and shirts they were wearing were anyone's guess. He turned to walk out, and Sephiroth caught his arm.

"Let me try and explain," Sephiroth said quickly. Cloud jerked his arm away, and glared at the silver haired man.

"You seem to forget, I was in that memory too," he said as he backed away a couple steps. "I know how much sick happiness you took in ending everyone's lives." He didn't run though, and he even walked over to a corner and got a chair, bringing it over and setting it down, so he was facing the two men. Sephiroth took it as a good sign, and with a deep breath, he began.

"I know I fucked up. I seriously fucked up. The two years that I've spent in the Lifestream has helped me think a lot. Like I said, I realize now that I should of listened to the voice that was telling me to stop," he trailed off, his eyes lost somewhere behind Cloud, tears making them glisten. "How can I explain it? The two of you grew up with families. I was raised in a lab, where I wasn't allowed to have friends, where I believed that my mother was dead, and that my mothers name was Jenova." He looked at them, and sighed, before drawing into himself, dragging their minds with him. He didn't know how he was able to do it, but it was like opening connecting doors within his and their minds.

----------

_Sephiroth was strapped to the bed, his small body twitching violently. Hojo was standing next to him, muttering to himself, and Gast was on the other side, watching the way the boys' teeth clenched with the effort not to cry out. _

"_Up the dosage," Hojo said dispassionately. Sephiroth looked at him, fear and hatred plain in his eyes before he closed them, and turned his face away. An assistant walked up, and with another long needle, he thrust it into the small arm, depressing the entire syringe into his blood. Sephiroth couldn't hold it in any longer. He started screaming at the unbearable fire that was burning its way through his veins, his small body writhing upon the cold table. Hojo stared at the various instruments, taking notes, and muttering to himself like he always did. Once Sephiroth stopped struggling, he motioned to another assistant._

"_Take him back to his room, were done for the day." Hojo turned his back, not even noticing the jade eyes that flared with a hatred so deep, it was a wonder a fire didn't start burning on the doctors back. The assistant unstrapped him, and as he did, Sephiroth shoved him away, and got up slowly, his seven-year-old body aching like it was a hundred. _

"_I know the way back to my damn cell," he hissed venomously, and staggered down the hallway, cursing his existence the entire time. _

_----------_

_Everything went black, and when color started to shine through, they saw Sephiroth standing by himself in a small training facility, and he couldn't have been more then ten. He was wielding the Masamune already, and was grinning fiercely at his opponent, who fought a losing battle to keep the sword away from him. A bright splash of red signaled an end to the duel, and Sephiroth held out his hand to the older man on the floor. Laughing, the man took it._

"_That's it, Sephiroth," he said, looking at the shallow cut in his arm. "I cannot teach you anymore. You learned it all." Sephiroth was on the verge of saying something, when he heard distinctive boot steps behind him. Schooling his face into his bored arrogance, he turned to face Hojo._

"_I want you to come with me," the scientist said, before turning on his heels, and walking away. Sephiroth bowed to his teacher, before sheathing his sword, and following the scientist. He followed Hojo, until they came to a small observation balcony, and looking down into the pit below him, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the man already there._

"_What is this, Hojo?" He continued to gaze down at the man below, even when Hojo's eyes turned towards him._

"_A test, of sorts. I have friends of mine coming to see you fight. To see if they want to invest in my projects." Sephiroth finally turned to face Hojo, his eyebrow still rose even though fear was roiling through him. _

"_What kind of test?" he asked calmly. Even though his heart was beating wildly, he kept calm, because he already knew the answer._

"_You will fight the man down there. He is one of the best in the Wutai tribes, and we had him brought here, just for you." Hojo smirked, and with surprising speed and grace, grabbed Sephiroth's hair, and threw him over the edge, to the pit below. Sephiroth landed lightly on his feet, before glaring up at Hojo, where he stood with that same smirk on his face. 'One of these days,' he vowed to himself, slowly straightening. 'I'm going to kill you.' _

_He turned and faced the other man, who has already pulled out what looked to be a wooden staff. Sephiroth shrugged, and unsheathed his sword, before resting lightly on the balls of his feet, perfectly balanced. The other man narrowed his eyes, taking in the pretty face, long hair, and the obvious comfort the boy had holding that amazing sword. He tensed, and the fight began._

_Hojo watched from above, smiling to himself as the people around him gasped with shocked awe. Sephiroth, even at eleven year old, was something to behold. His glowing eyes, and the smooth, elegant way in which he moved, belied a strength and speed that shouldn't have been there is someone so young. He saw Sephiroth tense as the people around him started cheering, and others from different balconies followed suit. The fight quickly wore down, and by the time Sephiroth had the other man against the wall, sword pressed into his throat, the people were screaming for him to end it. They said something to each other, the crowd to loud for Hojo to hear. Boo's came from peoples throats as Sephiroth stepped back, letting the other man live. A scalding wave of rage consumed Hojo, and he roughly pushed his way through the crowd, making it quickly to the door that opened to below. He wrenched the door open, and stalked angrily through it. Grabbing Sephiroth's sword, he grabbed the boy by his hair, and dragged him from the room. _

_Sephiroth fought against the ties that were holding his wrists together above his head, but it was futile. He was hanging from his hands, his feet not even touching the ground. There was nothing he could do as he heard the first whistle of the whip. He gasped, and then quickly clenched his teeth, as another, and another line of fire drew blood on his back. He could hear Hojo's breath behind him, and he lost count of the lashes after thirty. All he could do was hang there as he watched his own blood pool beneath him, his eyes dead and dull in his face._

_----------_

_Time fast-forwarded again, and they were suddenly in the ShinRa training facility. Sephiroth had just gotten back from the final battle against the Wutai, and he settled into the chair at his desk with a sigh. 'All anyone sees is the cold-blooded killer,' he thinks, threading his fingers through his hair so he can hold his pounding head. The screams of the dead echoed across his mind, and suddenly feeling nauseous, he closed his eyes, lying his head down on the desk. The smooth wood was cool against his skin, and he absorbed it happily. He straightened abruptly as a knock sounded on his door. He schooled his face into a pleasant mask, before bidding the person to enter. A true smile lit his face as he saw Zach. He looked at the clock, and raised an eyebrow before turning back to Zach._

"_What are you doing up at 4 in the morning?" Sephiroth asked, and then narrowed his eyes as he took in the circles under Zach's eyes, and the way his usual happy demeanor was gone. "What's wrong, Zach?" The brunette shook his head, before collapsing into the chair opposite the desk._

"_Do you remember the boy I told you about?" Zach said, rubbing his eyes with a tired sigh. Sephiroth nodded, and realizing Zach couldn't see it, said yes. "Well, he's been have horrible nightmares since he got here. A lot of people are picking on him, because he is small, and pretty." Zach looked up with his usual grin, eyes twinkling. "Sound like someone you know?"_

_Sephiroth has to smile slightly, as he remembered when he first started going here. That's what everyone had believed about him, until he learned to just shut everyone out. It was safer that way. No one could treat him like he was different, if he never let what people said get to him. He had lived a very lonely life until he had gotten out from under Hojo's eyes. Even when he was on his own, Hojo was always there, so he never let anyone get close to him. They always wanted one thing or another. He shook his head slightly, to disburse the images that were crowding around his mind. Turning his attention back to Zach, he nodded._

"_He's having the same problems that I was," he said softly. Zach nodded, and continued. "I moved him in with me, so now were sharing my apartment. He's got potential. I just wish he would realize it. He's letting what all the other students say get to him. He works harder then them all, gets perfect grades in his classes, and is even starting to be able to beat everyone he comes against. So, naturally, the other kids are jealous, and the attacks have just gotten worse." Zach finished, sighing heavily as he raised glowing, worried eyes to Sephiroth's. The silver haired man nodded, feeling sympathy for the boy who was being treated so much like he had been. Try as he might, he couldn't keep his own emotions in check. His eyes filled with tears, and he couldn't duck his head quick enough to hide them from Zach. He heard the other man rise from his chair, and walk around the desk, before laying his hands on his shoulders._

"_Hey, what's wrong?" Zach inquired softly. Sephiroth let out a chocked sob, and Zach's arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly as the tears continued to spill from his eyes. He cried out his rage, sorrow, and loneliness in his friends arms, and against his will, he fell asleep sitting there, with the only arms that truly cared about him, holding him._

_----------_

Cloud sat back with a gasp, the door closing in his mind, and tears coming to his eyes as he realized exactly what Sephiroth went though. More then what the memory showed, were the emotions that came through loud and clear. The anger, the loneliness… Cloud reached out to Sephiroth, his hand tightening on his arm, forcing the other man to raise eyes that were cold and dead. He opened his mouth to ask him if he felt the connecting doorway, but at the look in the mans eyes, he changed what he was going to say.

"I never realized," Cloud said softly. He shook his head, and tried again. "You always hid it so well, even after we got together. I never asked you about the scars on your body, just like you never asked me about mine. You never got emotional, so I always assumed that you had come to peace with whatever had happened to you." Cloud moved from the chair, to sit next to Sephiroth. He laid his arm across the other mans shoulders, bringing his head to rest on his chest. Sephiroth was crying silently, his body shaking with the effort it took him to not make any noise. Cloud's eyes rose to meet Zach's. The pain in them made him reach out to him as well. He ended up on his knees, his head in Clouds lap as the blond man held them both, and they cried.

----------

Cloud ended up on his back on the bed, Zach on one side of him, Sephiroth on the other. There was nothing sexual about it, just the comforting presence of people who truly care. Cloud yawned, and looked out the window, realizing that he needed to get his bike inside, before some stupid kid decided to try to take it for a joyride. He lay still for a moment longer, looking into his mind at the doors that connected their minds. 'How in the hell did we get lucky enough to have these?' he thought sarcastically. He brushed his mind up against the one on the right, and he felt Sephiroth's presence behind it. He wasn't awake, so he couldn't allow Cloud access to his mind. The one on the left was Zach, he knew without a doubt. He sighed, opening his eyes and gazing at the ceiling.

He looked down at Sephiroth's sleeping face, and couldn't help but lean down and gently place a kiss on the other mans forehead. Sephiroth opened fuzzy eyes, and gave him a smile that stopped his heart. This was the man he had fallen in love with. With a sigh, Sephiroth closed his eyes again, and snuggled tighter against his side. Cloud sighed, and slowly untangled himself from the other two men. He stood up at the edge of the bed, and just watched them for a while. There had never been anything physical between him and Zach, even though the attraction had always been there. Even so, he loved the dark haired man so much it hurt, even as it healed. He shook his head, pushing back the thought that he hated him too, and walked out of the room, not noticing the glowing, violet gaze that followed him.

Cloud stood outside for a moment, letting the night air whisper around him, as he gazed at the full moon. Hearing footsteps behind him, he glanced over his shoulder to see Zach walking up.

"Sephiroth?" Cloud asked. Zach just pointed a thumb back at the mansion.

"Sill sleeping, I think," Zach said with a small laugh. Cloud nodded, and sat down on his bike, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to stare at the sky. Zach just waited.

"I don't know what to do," Cloud said softly, his eyes never wavering from the full whiteness above them. "I love him so much it hurts, but he's the same man that destroyed everything I ever loved." Cloud shivered, and Zach came over, sitting on the bike next to him. He slung an arm over Clouds shoulders, before speaking softly.

"He's not the same man he was, Cloud," Zach said, equally as soft. "In the time we were in the Lifestream, he made amends with a lot of the people he had hurt. He met you mom, and she forgave him." Zach had to smile at the surprised look on Clouds face. "Yes, you heard me right. Aeris even forgives him. It wasn't truly him that hurt us. It was Jenova. She had truly and completely taken him over."

Cloud was quiet as he digested this news. If other people had forgiven him, why couldn't he? He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as flashes of memory assaulted him. Watching his mothers' house burn down, seeing Tifa lying there as if dead. Watching Meteor slowly crash into the planet. Watching as Sephiroth impaled Aeris on his sword, and holding her as her life bled out. He sighed, and stood. He motioned Zach off the bike, and hitting a small switch, he withdrew his main sword, leaving the rest in their custom sheaths. Zach looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Cloud smiled.

"I need to think. I also need to get some training done." Zach nodded, and stayed where he was as Cloud moved away. He let himself back into the mansion, but instead of going upstairs to where Sephiroth slept, he went straight through the house, out the back. There was a small area that once held a garden, and in the full summer heat, it was awash with foliage and color. Insects chirped quietly from the bushes, as he made his way silently to the large clearing in the middle. He took a deep breath, and centered himself, not aware of the dark eyes that were watching him from the entrance, or the jade ones watching him from the balcony. He started slow, and flowing through the training exercises, he slowly became faster, the movements more intricate. The entire time, all he could think, 'Can I forgive him?' As he finished, he lowered the sword, closing his eyes and turning his face to the breeze. He still didn't have an answer.


	5. Happiness

**Yay for some naughty boys, hehe. It gets better though, or worse depending. For anyone who does not like suicide themes, you will not want to read the next two chapters. Fair warning.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Cloud was sitting outside with Zach, both of them working on their bikes and waiting for Sephiroth to get back from town with the hoses they needed. It was the last thing before the finishing touches. The three men had been at the mansion for a couple weeks now, because when Cloud first got here, it was June. Now August had come, and was almost gone. Cloud hadn't gotten to courage up to ask them if they felt the doors, and they hadn't shared a memory since that night, so he left it alone. They had stockpiled clothing and food, because none of them were social, except Zach. He loved going down to the town, and bothering the people that ran the stores. Thanks to Cloud, none of them needed any money. He had found a stash of it down in the basement, where Hojo must have put it. That, added to the money he had from his various jobs, and the three of them were set.

Cloud had gone down to the town one day, and as he was walking towards the mechanics to get some parts for his bike, Fenrir, he happened to glance down an alley, noticing two discarded motorcycles, like his own. Veering off, he inspected them thoroughly, and grinned. The engines and trans were fine; it was all the smaller stuff that needed to be replaced. He had quickly gone and gotten Zach, and the two of them dragged, and pushed the poor bikes back to the mansion. The last couple of weeks had been filled with laughter, and a cautious understanding between Sephiroth and Cloud. The blond still didn't know what to do about his feelings, or the doors, but he was working on it.

Cloud grinned slightly as he remembered the look on Sephiroth's face when he handed him a box of tools.

----------

"_What am I supposed to do with these?" the silver-haired man asked, with a raised eyebrow. He still took the tools, even if he looked at them as though they were venomous. Cloud had laughed, and turned, not seeing the pain and happiness fill the jade eyes behind him. 'He never laughs like that anymore,' the taller man thought. His face was completely smooth when the blond turned back to him, a hand on the large covered object behind him. He ripped off the cover, and Sephiroth could do nothing but gape at the large bike behind him._

"_You get to fix it," Cloud said with a smirk. "If you ever want to go anywhere, you need transportation." Sephiroth couldn't say anything, and soon he had Cloud on his knees, holding his stomach and howling with laughter. _

"_What so funny?" Zach said as he walked up, an identical box of tools in his hand. He had on a black tank top, and his blue jeans were so ripped and faded, they looked ready to disappear. The brunette looked between the two of them, and then did a double take at the look on Sephiroth's face. He bit his lip, and when Seph looked at him, his eyes filling with anger, and humor, he was on the ground with Cloud, both of them writhing with laughter. _

"_Well, I better go change my clothes then," Sephiroth said with a regal nod of his head, and then stalked off into the mansion. The other two men watched him go, and as they caught each other's eye, they laughed again. _

"_His face was priceless…" Cloud trailed off, his jaw dropping open as Sephiroth walked back out of the mansion. His hair was tied at the base of his neck, making his glowing eyes stand out even more. He had on a black tank top, which clung to him like a second skin. Cloud felt his heart take a running start, and swallowed hard as his cheeks flushed. His eyes moved from Sephiroth's chest, and he had to smile slightly at the very baggy black jeans. They fit around his waist, but they were still baggy. Black, plain boots completed the outfit, and as he made his way back up to meet those jade eyes, Cloud's heart stuttered in desire at the heat that filled them. He blinked a couple times, and focused on Zach, who was once against down in the dirt, laughing his ass off. _

"_What the hell is so fucking funny, Zach?" Cloud said loudly, his entire face heating up with embarrassment. _

"_Your face," Zach breathed. He started laughing even harder, and Sephiroth joined in, because suddenly Cloud looked like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing rapidly. The blond finally had to smile, and he picked up two rocks. He lightly threw them at the other two, and both of them caught them._

"_Fuck off," he said hotly, but he was smiling as he said it. "Ok, let's go get the parts we need."_

_----------_

Cloud yawned, and stood, grabbing the soft cloth he used to polish the gleaming metal of his bike. He ran his fingers through his hair, and cursed when he realized there was still oil on them. Pulling a lock of his bright blond hair down, he cursed again seeing the oily streak. He twitched, and blinked at Zach, who had said something to him.

"What did you say?" Zach shook his head, and grinned as he dumped a bucket of black dye all over Cloud. The blond stared, and then looked down at himself. He was now black from head to foot. Glaring at Zach, he punched him in the arm.

"What the hell was that about? That dye was supposed to be used on the cloth for the seats." Cloud muttered to himself as he walked into the mansion, Zach laughing his ass off behind him. He went to his bedroom, and into the bathroom, grimacing as he saw the perfect imprint of his shoes on the carpet. 'I'm never going to get those to go away,' he thought. Sighing, he stripped off his clothes, and looked down at himself. All of his skin was black, except for his feet, where it hadn't gotten into his boots. He turned, and started running the water, still amazed that it worked in the mansion. He flipped the lever to turn on the shower, and got in.

Cloud sighed as he ran the towel over his naked body, glad that it had only taken a good scrubbing to get it off him. He opened the door, and blinked at the sight of Sephiroth sitting on the bed, with fresh clothes lying next to him. He narrowed his eyes, and tightened the towel around his hips. He had only taken a couple steps into the room, opening his mouth to ask about the hoses, when he noticed Sephiroth's eyes on his hair. Raising an eyebrow, he reached up to tug a lock of his hair down. His jaw dropped as he saw it was black. No, not just black, but something darker then that. Like the midnight sky when there are no stars or a moon. He turned slightly, and faced the mirror, walking over to it, and reaching up a hand to touch his reflection. His eyes were amazingly blue with all the black surrounding it. His skin had always been fair, but now it was ghostly pale when topped with that black hair, the scars on his body standing out even more. He caught Sephiroth's gaze in the mirror, and couldn't stop his bodies' reaction at the heat in those jade eyes. He caught his breath as Sephiroth uncoiled himself from the bed, slowly walking up behind Cloud. They kept their gazes glued to one another's. Cloud trembled slightly at the heat that was building within him. Sephiroth laid a hand lightly on his shoulder, and the heat in the room jumped a hundred degrees. Even the silver-haired mans skin became flushed. He stroked a hand down Clouds arm, closing the distance between them until they were pressed against each other.

"I like the new color," Sephiroth whispered in his ear. Cloud shivered, and couldn't stop the soft whimper that only made both men harder. Cloud turned swiftly, catching Sephiroth off guard. The taller man stepped back, but Cloud had grabbed his shirt, and with frightening ease, ripped it from his body. He ran his fingers over the multitude of scars that covered the pale flesh, dipping his head down to run his tongue over the one that started in the middle of his stomach, and wrapped around his right side to meet again in the back. It was the scar Cloud had given him in Nibelheim. Sephiroth shivered, then smirked, and grabbed Cloud's hips, lifting him up so the other man had no choice but to wrap his legs around Sephiroth's waist. Their lips met, and it felt like their first time. The fire that was building inside them took them both at the feel of their lips meeting. For once, neither Cloud nor Sephiroth fought the fire, and let it take them completely.

Cloud's head reeled at the taste of the other man. All these weeks of seeing him half-naked, watching the sweat on his body as he trained. All he could think of doing was throwing the man on the bed, and fucking him until he cried out beneath him. Cloud gasped as he was thrown onto the bed, staring up at the other man as he slowly undid his pants, sliding them down those elegant legs. Sephiroth smiled as he watched Cloud's eyes follow his pants, before coming to rest on the part of him that was so hard, and eager. The desire that spiked in the other mans eyes, almost made Sephiroth stumble with the answering passion in him. He crawled onto the bed, using all of his elegance, and from the look on Clouds face, it was worth it.

Cloud watched him as he crawled towards him. His movements reminded him of a large cat. Elegant, restrained, and yet with the edge of violence underneath it all. Now, it was overlaid with that burning sexual heat, and Cloud swallowed as Sephiroth's lips lightly touched the top of his foot, giving it a quick kiss before he began kissing his way up his leg. Cloud was trembling, and his eyes rolled back into his head as Sephiroth took him into his mouth. His hands threaded though the silver hair, grasping it with tightened fists. As he felt Sephiroth's tongue, he couldn't stop the moan of pleasure. Opening his eyes at the sudden cold air, he blinked rapidly as Sephiroth straddled his lap. He looked up at the other man, opening his mouth to say something, but Sephiroth covered his lips with his, and all his thoughts scattered.

"I never gave myself to you," Sephiroth whispered against his lips. Cloud swallowed, about to reply, but Sephiroth lowered himself, impaling his body. Cloud groaned, closing his eyes and grasping the other mans hips, because if he moved one more inch, he was going to come. Cloud opened his eyes to see Sephiroth looking down at him, their bodies covered in a curtain of his silver hair. The other man slowly eased himself down, until all of Cloud was inside him.

Sephiroth flung his head back, a deep growl of pleasure resonating through him, and down his body, making Cloud laugh and groan at the same time.

"Oh, don't do that again," Cloud whispered. His hands tightened on Sephiroth's hips, as the other man looked down at him, cat eyes glowing. Cloud thought his heart would burst from his chest as Sephiroth gave him a real smile. A smile full of love, desire, and possession. Cloud couldn't help but smile back the same way, and from the look in those jade eyes, it wasn't a smile that Sephiroth was ever expecting to see. Neither one of them knew who started the kiss, but Sephiroth was the one that started moving his body first. Cloud ripped away from their kiss, laying his head back against the bed as he almost screamed from the pleasure. Sephiroth chuckled softly, and leaned down, his body moving in a slow, but forceful movement upon Cloud. Sephiroth kissed Clouds chest, moving the kisses over until his lips wrapped around his nipple. Cloud gasped and stared down at Sephiroth, his body tightening until he almost screamed for Sephiroth to end it. He had opened his mouth, when Sephiroth rolled his eyes up to meet his. The look in his eyes threw Clouds head back, his body jerking as his orgasm ripped through him. He lay there, gasping for breath, and laughed softly at the look on Sephiroth's face.

"You look like the cat that just caught the bird," he said softly. The smile was quickly wiped from his face, and Sephiroth slid Cloud out of him, and maneuvered so he was between Clouds legs. He smirked as he trailed a finger down Clouds chest, taking a fierce pleasure from the way the other man shivered.

"I haven't gotten my bird yet," Sephiroth purred, before he started pushing his way into Clouds body. Cloud arched his back, his hands searching for something to grab a hold of. They encountered the other mans hands, and grasped them tightly. Cloud couldn't breath, couldn't think as wave after wave of pleasure rolled through him. Sephiroth was gentle, and that wasn't what Cloud wanted. He looked up, and met the other mans jade eyes.

"Fuck me," he whispered. Sephiroth blinked, and placed a hand on Clouds tight stomach. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"You sure? I don't want to hurt you." Cloud grinned evilly, before forcing his body to take in all of Sephiroth. The pain only heightened the feeling, and seeing Sephiroth throw his head back, his body shivering in ecstasy made it worth it. Sephiroth turned wild eyes down to the man underneath him, and swallowed.

"Fuck me, Sephiroth," Cloud growled. Sephiroth took him at his word, and began to thrust into him as hard and fast as he could. Cloud was so hard it hurt, and he felt his second orgasm building, as Sephiroth constantly moved over that spot inside him. Sephiroth let go of his hands, before one of them wrapped around Cloud's shaft, pumping up and down in the same rhythm as his hips.

"Come for me," Sephiroth had leaned down, whispering it in his ear. He raised himself back up, and Cloud obeyed, screaming as his nails tore deep furrows in Sephiroth's arms. The silver-haired man watched his lover writhe beneath him for only a moment, before he threw back his head, growling loudly as his orgasm rushed through him.

He slowly lowered his head, feeling the sweat trickle down his face and chest, breathing heavily as he looked into Clouds eyes. Sephiroth didn't want to move, but his legs were trembling underneath him, and Cloud smiled as he felt them. He moved so Sephiroth slid out of him, and then dragged the taller man down onto the bed next to him.

"I've been wanting to do that since I saw you again," Cloud said softly. Sephiroth chuckled, and ran his slender fingers through Clouds hair, still marveling at the black. He laughed outright as he saw the black dye on his fingers, noticing that Clouds hair was blonde where the dye had rubbed off. Cloud raised an eyebrow, and reached up to his hair to bring it before his eyes. He rubbed it, and laughed as the black dye rubbed away.

"Well, so much for that," Cloud laughed. He looked at the other man, his grin softening into a smile at the still dazed look in those jade eyes. "First one who can move gets the shower." Sephiroth just shook his head.

"I'm not moving for awhile, so be my guest," he said with a tired smile. Cloud's only answer was to press himself against the other man, laying his hand on Sephiroth's chest, feeling his heart beat calm. Sephiroth wrapped his arm around Cloud's shoulder, and pulled him close, tears gathering in his eyes. He had to wonder how long this was going to last. If he would ever convince Cloud that he was the man the boy had fallen in love with. Just as he was getting ready to say something, the door flew open, and both of them sat up in bed, completely naked.

Cloud stared at the person in the doorway, his mouth moving but no words coming out. Zach ran up, gasping.

"Sorry," he said, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "I tried stopping him, but he knocked me out." Zach glared at the man who was standing in the doorway.

"Vincent," Cloud whispered. The other man just stood there, his black hair falling gracefully over his red mantle. His red eyes were still quiet, but underneath them, there was an anger so large that it was spilling out. When Vincent showed even that much emotion, it was bad. "Let me explain, please." Vincent shook his head, turned, and walked away. Cloud jumped up, wrapping nothing but his discarded towel around his hips, and went after his friend.


	6. Answers

**This chapter is really screwed up, but it does explain what Cloud has been doing in the two years since Meteor. Enjoy, and please don't be too mad at me.**

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Cloud didn't have very far to go, because as he walked out of the mansion into the afternoon sunlight, Vincent was standing at the edge of the cliff the mansion was built on, staring into the distance. Cloud walked up to the other man slowly, but before he could even open his mouth, Vincent spoke.

"So this is where you ran off to," he said quietly. Cloud nodded, swallowing. His face was blank, his eyes a calm still pool, but inside his thoughts were racing. "You left everyone, Cloud. Tifa, Marlene, Denzel. After everything that happened, you still ran away from them. Why Cloud? Why do you always go to the past, instead of facing the future?"

Cloud glanced over at Vincent, and was caught by the emotions swirling in those red eyes. He had never seen Vincent express so much emotion before. In the two years he had known the man standing next to him, never had his eyes glowed the way they were now. Vincent took a step towards him, and Cloud stepped back on instinct, suddenly wary of the man standing before him. Vincent smiled a very small, satisfied smile, before turning on his heels and walking away. Before he could take even one-step, Cloud grabbed his arm. "Wait."

Vincent whipped around, his other hand grasping Cloud's wrist. His metal fingers dug deeply into the soft flesh of Cloud's wrist, and a shudder of sick pleasure went through him at the sight of Cloud's crimson blood trailing down the ghostly skin.

"You could have everything I ever wanted, Cloud," he whispered, staring into the other mans glowing eyes. "A family, someone who loves you before themselves. Yet you would throw it all away for Sephiroth? You have had to kill him three times now. Something that has died three times should stay dead."

Cloud felt himself pale, and clenched his teeth together, completely oblivious to the pain in his wrist. Was Vincent right? Was he throwing everything good in his life away because of a stupid dream? He felt Sephiroth's lips on his, the feel of that silver hair sliding over his body as they made love. He saw Tifa's smile as he walked in the door, the small arms of Marlene and Denzel wrapping around his body, hugging and loving him with all the abandon of children. He wrenched his arm out of Vincent's grip, not caring that his flesh shredded from the other mans metal claws. He didn't have an answer. His old thoughts came back to him, and as he thought about what he and Sephiroth had just done, a wave of self-loathing came over him strong enough to almost send him to his knees. He closed his eyes tightly, feeling the blood dripping down his arm with a sick sort of satisfaction. He deserved any amount of pain anyone wanted to inflict upon him. 'Tifa would love me, if I only gave her the chance. Denzel and Marlene already look up to me, and they love me too. What the hell is my problem that I would run from that?'

His felt sickened as he turned from Vincent, not noticing the look of concern in the red eyes. He began to walk slowly back into the mansion, not caring that Vincent was following not too far behind him. As he entered his room, leaving a trail of crimson drops behind him, his heart stuttered in his chest as he took in Sephiroth sitting on the bed they had just made love in. He hardened his heart, and narrowed his eyes, frowning. 'If only he had taken me with him, nothing that I have gone through would of happened, and I would have never hurt anyone, never of caused the amount of pain I have.'

"Cloud!" Zach yelled, snapping Cloud out of his thoughts. Zach grabbed Cloud's arm, but he ripped it away, before turning to Zach with a ferocious growl. Zach narrowed his eyes and frowned at the wild look in his friends' eyes.

"Don't ever think that you have the right to yell at me like that," Cloud growled softly. "I will make you regret it. I am not the frightened boy you remember, and I no longer need you to protect me. It has been three years, Zach. What makes you think that I am still that helpless boy you took from the lab?"

Zach was at a loss for words as he watched Cloud walk over to the bed where Sephiroth was sitting, completely clothed now. Cloud grabbed his clothing, a plain black t-shirt, and black jeans, and roughly pulled them on, ignoring the wounds that were still dripping blood. He strapped the sheath for his sword on his back, and with the black hair, clothes, and those eerily glowing blue eyes, he looked like a fallen angel. Sephiroth grabbed Clouds hand, opening his mouth to say something, but Cloud grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and threw him against the opposing wall.

Sephiroth got to his feet slowly, his jade eyes never leaving the blue ones that were glaring holes through his head.

"What are you going to do, Cloud?" he said softly, his arrogance kicking in to hide the pain in his heart. "Are you going to kill me again? So you can go back to your perfect life? The one where you were so unhappy, it brought both Zach and I back, so we could find some way to fix it?" Sephiroth had slowly been advancing towards the other man, his heart sick at the self-loathing he saw in Clouds eyes.

"I have done things that can never be forgiven," Cloud said quietly, letting the man in front of him see the hatred that he held for himself, shining clearly through eyes darkened to black from emotion. "Aeris forgives me, I know. I believed that I had forgiven myself, but now I know the truth. As long as I carry these memories, the knowledge of what I have done to people. I will never forgive myself for letting so many people down. People that I care for." He shook his head, a cold amusement making his lips curve into a small, sardonic smile. He gazed into those jade eyes for a moment, vaguely noticing the pain that was there, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He looked down, watching the blood drip from his fingertips as he searched for words.

"I can't help myself," he said softly, hands clenching into fists. "Why should I be able to help anyone else?" He raised his eyes, looking into the jade ones, then violet, then red in turn, before resting back onto the man he loved. "I killed you. It wasn't three times, though that first time I came very close. Jenova saved you then. At the Crater, I truly did kill you. I watched the light leave your eyes. I held you as you bled out, crying because there was no other way. Not even a month ago, I killed you again." He waved his hand as Sephiroth opened his mouth. "I know it wasn't actually you, but Jenova and Kadaj. Still, it was your face, your voice, your skin." Cloud took a slow breath, and walked over to the window, staring out at the growing shadows, taking comfort in the soft gleaming of the stars above.

"I watched the same light die in Tifa's eyes when she realized that I was going to fight alone. That I was going to die. I couldn't tell her why I needed this fight to be just between the two of us, Sephiroth. Zach knew about my feelings, when we were back at ShinRa together, but no one else did, until Vincent." He glanced over his shoulder, taking a evil happiness at the hurt he saw in those cat eyes. "How was I going to explain to them, that the only person I ever loved, truly and completely, was the one trying to destroy the planet? How could I have destroyed Tifa that way, when even now she still believes that we can truly be together?" He laughed humorlessly, and his hands clenched around the frame of the window, splintering the wood. None of the other men even twitched. When Cloud spoke again, his voice was dangerously low.

"I tried to run from everyone. Myself, my responsibilities. Tried, hell. I did run, as far and fast as I could. I couldn't face what I had done, so I lost myself, and liked that I was doing it. In two years, I was a street fighter, a whore, an assassin, and a drug dealer." At the soft movement behind him, he turned slowly, his entire body held straight and tall, as his dark sapphire eyes glowed with his own inner torment. He looked to Vincent, who was the one who twitched. Cloud walked over to him slowly, his body moving like a great beast; you were mesmerized as you watched it come towards you, thinking it beautiful, and then it rips your throat out.

Vincent's breath caught in his throat at the sexual predator that was walking towards him. He forced himself to not take a step backwards as Cloud pressed his body against his, his face impassive. Cloud smiled, but there was no happiness in it. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath of the way Vincent smelled, purring deeply in the back of his throat. When he spoke, it was with that purr, making his voice sound impossibly dangerous and seductive.

"Didn't know that, did you Vincent? None of you ever knew that I could fuck you in so many different positions you would scream for mercy within ten minutes. No one knew that I was so fucked up on drugs, I didn't care who I screwed as long as I got my next fix." He chuckled softly, and drew away from the man, his smile widening at the horror in those red eyes. "Yes, I suppose it does deserve that kind of feeling, doesn't it?" Cloud quickly grabbed his sword, and holding it to the vampire's neck, he pressed in hard enough to draw a small line of blood. Vincent never once moved, nor did he take his eyes off Cloud's.

"I killed for the hell of it, and so I could keep my supply of drugs coming. ShinRa trained me well, and then Hojo did the rest. I could move like a shadow, and take down anyone that I was paid to." He pressed the blade in deeper, the blood running faster. Cloud stumbled backwards, his eyes blazing with an unnatural desire, as he clutched his head. Zach and Sephiroth both started forward to help, but Cloud swung his sword out in a wide arc, yelling.

"Don't fucking touch me! None of you!" He took a deep breath, and straightened back up. A look came over his face that made Zach and Vincent both glance at Sephiroth. Clouds face had shut down, until there was nothing there but a malicious happiness shining in his eyes, a small smirk on his face. It was the same look that Sephiroth had when he was in the midst of a bloodbath. Cloud began to speak very softly, no emotion at all coloring his voice.

"I killed, I tortured. Then I would go back to the bar, and Denzel and Marlene would hug me, where only an hour earlier I had been covered in blood. The delivery service was only a cover, to keep Tifa out of what I was really doing. I was so good at my job that soon there were no more jobs. For a couple months I turned to street fighting. I wouldn't be paid if I didn't kill my opponent, so I did. I reasoned that I needed the money more then they did. Within two months, it got to the point that no one would face me. So then I turned to whoring myself out. My body could take so much more then anyone's, it made me very popular." He stared at the sword in his hand, and the blood gleaming darkly upon it. Night had fallen, the only light in the room coming from the four pairs of eyes gleaming upon white skin. Cloud slowly looked up, eyes catching Vincent's first.

"Have you ever wanted to go back into that coffin, and stay there for the rest of eternity?" Cloud asked softly. Vincent startled visibly, before shaking his head.

"I would never go back there," he said, equally soft. "It was nice, being able to forget. Nevertheless, in the two years since I have been awake, I have learned to live again. If not for myself, then for my friends." Cloud's lips twitched in a sardonic smile, before resting his wrist against the sharp edge of his blade. He ignored the startled gasps from around him, staring almost lovingly at the blood that was rolling down his arm from the cut he had made.

"How easy it would be," he whispered softly, more to himself then anyone in the room. "To just end it all, and let myself go once and for all." His eyes closed briefly, and he pressed the sword in deeper. At the same time, all three men made a desperate lunge to grab him, and all of their hands touching Cloud blew open the doors in his mind.


	7. Suicide

**You'll see why this chapter is labeled suicide. Oh, I don't remember who the lyrics are by, if anyone could help me with that, I would appreciate it. Oh, and there is drug use in this chapter, so you can't say I didn't warn you.**

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_Cloud ran his fingers over the guitar, eyes closed against the glare of the spotlights on him. He hated performing in front of all of these people, but he knew that if he did, it was more money that he could get in the night. He grimaced, and opened his eyes slightly to look at the small, greasy man standing to the left of the stage. Cloud sighed, and stood with a graceful movement, the guitar singing sweetly enough for the crowd to go wild in front of him. He walked to the mike, his movements slow and sensual, yet dangerous. His outfit tonight was a beautiful one, almost innocent. His patron wanted him that way. The ivory shirt was unbuttoned, the full sleeves cuffed tightly around his wrists, hiding the stigma that was beginning on his left shoulder. His chest and stomach gleamed golden against the warmth, his dark blue jeans hung low on his hips, held in place by a thin, braided leather belt, with a simple buckle. He looked up into the crowd, and gave a slow, sexy smile that made many women, and men, scream for him. He opened his mouth, and what came out was an amazingly deep, sensual voice._

"_Hate me today._

_Hate me tomorrow. _

_Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you._

_Hate me in ways, yeah ways hard to swallow._

_Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you."_

_Cloud closed his eyes as pain clenched his heart, completely zoning out the crowd, only one thing going through his mind as he slowly finished the song, before launching into a rock song, screaming the lyrics to hide his tears. He remembered Sephiroth singing that song to him, as they sat upon his bed, Cloud leaning back against the wall as he watched the General's fingers move swiftly and accurately over the strings of the sleek black guitar, the one he now held. Sephiroth's voice had a quality to it, that was hard to put into words. It was much like the General himself. Once you heard him sing, you were constantly craving his voice, almost like an addiction. _

_Cloud snapped himself out of the memory, and his knees started to tremble as his body reminded him he was long overdue for his next fix. He finished his third song of the night, and slinging the guitar over his back, he slowly made his way down to where his patron was waiting._

"_Does the outfit please you?" Cloud asked in a throaty purr, keeping his head down so the other man wouldn't see the disgust and hatred filling his eyes. He even managed not to flinch, as the rat man reached out a hand, and ran it down the blonds' cheek. Composing himself, Cloud looked up and smiled into the mans face, even though his heart was beating double time, and his legs threatened to give out. _

"_Shall we retire to somewhere more private, sir?" Cloud asked, and held out his hand to the other man. The rat bastard giggled, actually giggled! He took Clouds hand, and let himself be led behind the bar, and then up the stairs to loud whistles and catcalls. Cloud clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw threatened to dislocate, hating himself with a passion that was astounding. It made him stumble up a step, his free hand clenching the handrail. His patron didn't even ask if he was alright, just brushed past him and into the room at the top of the stairwell. Cloud looked up at the open door, with a mix of fear, anger, hatred, and resignation. As a punishment, everyone who was downstairs would see what was going on in the room above. He was being punished because he didn't do everything his last customer wanted him to. Pepi, the man who owned the bar, the room upstairs, and the only drugs that Cloud could find, basically owned him through his addictions. If Cloud didn't do what he wanted, he would be kicked out on the street, no drugs, no money, and nothing but his bike. Even so, knowing that everything would go away, he still didn't want to finish walking up those stairs. This wasn't the first, nor the last time something like this would happen, he was sure._

_Pepi had found the cruelest man he could, one who would be sure to give the paying viewers downstairs their money's worth. Cloud bit his lip, and slowly made his way up the stairs, a hand reaching through the darkened doorway to grab his hair, and pull him inside. He was thrown across the floor, and even though his body ached with the need to defend himself, he knew he wouldn't get his drugs if he fought back. Taking a deep breath, he got to his knees, and slung the guitar off his back, sliding it off into a corner of the room. He then rested his palms on his thighs, head bowed._

"_I await your pleasure," he said quietly, fighting hard to keep the anger and bitterness from his voice. He heard the man laugh softly, and then suddenly his head was wrenched up by his hair, and he was staring into pale grey eyes._

"_My name is Hansen," he said. "You can call me that, or Master, the choice is yours." Cloud swallowed hard, and as Hansen let go of his hair, he bowed his head once again._

"_Hansen, you promised me my drugs once we reached here."_

"_If you want your drugs, then you need to call me Master. I want to see you crawl to me, and beg for them, if they mean that much to you." Cloud swallowed, his face burning with humiliation, until his burning need for the drugs overrode his dignity. He eased himself onto his hands and knees, and slowly crawled over to the man, laying a small kiss on the mans feet, hating himself with every movement._

"_Master, if it pleases you, may I have my drugs now?" The last thing he heard before the boot caught him in the side of the head was Hansen's laughter._

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Cloud wrenched himself away from the memory, and all three men stared at him as he screamed, hands clenched around the sword, the keen edge biting deep into his palms, causing more of his blood to spill over them all. He struggled to close the doors, but he couldn't seem to control it. He felt his eyes begin to burn blue, and fear overrode everything else, as he fought not to turn into the monster he knew was inside him.

"No! They are not going to see me like this! I fucking refuse!" Cloud screamed to the ceiling, even as the other three were still trying to get their bearings. Aeris's voice whispered though his head, 'Cloud, let them see. They need to see this, to understand.' Cloud took a shuddering breath, and met the three pairs of eyes around him. "Alright," he whispered softly, before letting them all be swept back away.

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_When he regained consciousness, he was tied face down on a wooden table, his hands and feet meeting underneath. He knew Hansen had realized he was awake, because he heard the snap of the whip a second before it scored his back. Clenching his teeth together, he closed his eyes as Hansen continued. He counted them, as he used to do with Hojo, and the man finally stopped when Cloud reached fifty. He took a deep breath, which only made him wince as his back throbbed more. He gave a small whimper as Hansen shoved something large and sharp inside of him with no warning, and Cloud felt the blood begin to run down the inside of his thighs. _

"_Oh you like that," Hansen said in a soft whisper. "Even if you don't, I'm having fun." The man giggled again, and Cloud shook with the effect of his withdrawals', and he fought past the pain to speak._

"_Master, you promised me drugs," he said hoarsely. He heard the other man chuckle, and he watched as Hansen came into view, placing a handful of white powder where Cloud could reach it. He sniffed it eagerly, and sighed in relief as it took effect almost instantly, elevating him above the pain. Pills were shoved into his mouth, and he swallowed them, cringing at the feel of them going down his dry throat._

"_Now my slave, is that better?" Cloud nodded, and then he did scream as Hansen poured burning salt water against the wounds on his back. He had forgotten that while the drugs rode him, he didn't have the control to keep from screaming. Over the next couple of hours, as Hansen used blades, whips, and toys on him, Cloud screamed enough that blood was dripping from his mouth from his torn throat._

_Cloud was lying on the ground, his body hurting too much to even cry, or feel the effects the drugs had on him. Blood seeped from the deep lashes on his back, the cuts on his chest and his legs, and his various holes. 'Well, I have new scars to add to the old ones,' he thought sardonically. 'Pretty soon I'll have more scars then skin.' Cloud shakily reached a hand up to wipe the blood away from his lips, wincing as he heard footsteps come closer to him._

"_I hope you enjoyed the past," he checked his watch. "7 hours, as much as I did," Hansen whispered from where he stood above Cloud, before calmly walking over to the door, opening it, and walking out, but not before Cloud heard the jeers and screams from the crowd below. Cloud eased from the table, rubbing his bloody wrists as he staggered over, and fell onto the bed. Once there, he gave himself over to the sobbing that he couldn't do while he was being tortured. _

_The door opened, and Cloud quickly pushed himself into a sitting position, almost screaming as the aching in his body freshened into new pain as his slowly healing wounds reopened. Pepi walked in, and behind him was a line of men. Cloud's eyes widened, and he mouthed no, but he was to weak to stop them as they tied him down to the bed, his legs left free, a strap wrapping around his chest and throat, keeping him immobile. He could do nothing as Pepi walked over to him, and tied a silk gag around his head, after stuffing a wad of the cloth into his mouth. _

"_We don't want the neighbors to think anything bad is going on, do we?" Pepi softly caressed Clouds cheek, laughing when the blue eyes blazed with tears and hatred. He walked back to the end of the bed, and took a pouch of jingling coins from the first man, smirking as he watched the dawning horror in Cloud's eyes. The unknown man unzipped his pants, and lifting Clouds legs, began to rape him, heedless of the blood that was already coming out of him because of Hansen. Cloud closed his eyes, and turned his head to the side, trying his damndest to block everything out. He concentrated on the pain, tuning everything else out but that. The first man finished with a grunt, and all to soon the next was there, and then the next. Cloud lost track of the number of men, and then Pepi was there, holding a vial of the white powder to his nose. He took a deep sniff, with both nostrils, and felt himself lifted free of the pain again. _

_Suddenly, the faces of everyone slid across his slippery conscious. His mind lingered on the face of Sephiroth, wondering what his love would think of him if he knew what he had been doing over the past year and a half. The faces of those he had killed flashed across his vision, tinged with red and black, and he felt physically sick as he remembered the ruthless joy he felt while he killed them. 'No,' he thought, another man entering him. 'I didn't just kill them, I slaughtered them.' Cloud began to scream as the pain and self-hatred became too much, and struggle against his bonds. It only made everyone laugh harder, until one loud scream, and the leather of the bindings over his chest gave a loud rip. Cloud opened eyes that were so dark, they looked black. They were glowing with the energy that was infused in his body, bright blue sparks in the darkness of his eyes, making them seem though they were burning. He stared down his ravaged body at the man that was still inside him. He gave a small, slow smile, and the other man swallowed, eyes wide with fear, and quickly stood, zipping himself up. Cloud began to laugh, not caring that it sounded insane, or that he knew his eyes looked demonic, sending tendrils of energy snaking over his eyebrows, to bath his hair in an eerie blue and black light. His laugh turned into a growl as Pepi walked over and slapped him hard enough to send fresh blood into his mouth. _

"_See boys? He's harmless, don't worry," Pepi said with forced cheerfulness, and the men around him laughed weakly. Cloud felt his mind break, and with a savage howl he broke the bindings that held him. With a mental twist that he never could replicate, the door locked everyone in the room inside. With him. He stood on the bed, a fierce grin on his face, as he slowly reached up and ripped the gag from his mouth. Pepi turned around to stare at him, the blond angel who was covered in blood, scars, and coated with the blue fire of his own power. Before the man could run, Cloud simply reached out, and snapped his neck. He didn't stop with Pepi though. Every man that was in the room was no match for Cloud in his hate-filled rage. He killed every single one of them, black joy burning through his heart. Some of them he ripped their heads completely off, bathing in their blood, others he used the blades that had been used on him, hanging them with their own intestines. Cloud was gasping for breath, and as he slowly came back to himself, he gazed at the carnage around him with dawning horror._

"_I did this?" he said softly to himself. He looked down at his body, which was covered completely in blood, and then slowly up to the mirror. More blood dripped down its surface, but Cloud could see himself perfectly. His once blond hair was gleaming rubies, his pale skin now covered in a crimson rain that burned blue edged with black. He watched with a numb horror as his eyes slowly lightened to their normal blue, the fire covering his body absorbing back into his skin. Cloud began to shake, and then laugh. He laughed until he started crying again, falling to his knees on a floor that would forever be stained black with blood, like his soul. _

_Cloud remembered washing himself off, everyone downstairs having no clue that things had gone so terribly wrong upstairs. Dragging on clean clothes, he had taken all the money that the men had and Sephiroth's guitar, making his way downstairs. He made a side trip into the backroom where Pepi kept his drugs, quickly swallowing as many of the pills he could. Stuffing packets of white powder and green herbs into his pockets, he walked calmly out into the bar. His rage almost engulfed him again as a customer downstairs groped his ass. He turned glowing blue eyes to the man, who flinched, and backed away quickly. He didn't hear the first scream until he was almost two blocks away, roaring through town on Fenrir. By the time the cops were looking for him, he was far out of town, riding as fast as he could._

_Somehow over the next week, he had made it to the Crater, where that final battle had taken place. Weak and dazed from drugs and lack of nourishment, he knelt on the ground where Sephiroth had died, and staring at his hands, he suddenly threw his head back, and screamed at the sky. He screamed until his voice was hoarse and his throat was torn again, fresh blood and tears falling freely to soak into the cold earth. He was breathing heavily, his eyes closed and head thrown back, when he felt a familiar presence at his back. He stood quickly, his sword unsheathed and ready out of reflex, but no one was there._

"_Sephiroth?" Cloud said quietly. He felt the presence again, and a soft smile lit up his haggard, pale face. "I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be with you, and Zach, and Aeris. No one needs me here. How can I face any of my friends, knowing what I do to myself? I've taken life from so many people who didn't deserve it, who's only fault was standing up for what they believed in. I took money for killing them. I took money to support a habit that I should of never of started in the first place. I fought on the street for money and drugs. No one could beat me. No one. Anyone that tried got cut down with no remorse. Did they have families? Were they depending on the money they got from that fight to feed their children? I gave myself to any one that wanted me. Soon enough, I was getting paid for it, either with money or drugs." Cloud struggled with his breathing, and he felt the gentle presence around him again. Even though he knew Seph forgave him for everything he's done, Cloud could never forgive himself. The words continued to pour from him, and even though he clenched his teeth together in an effort to stop them, they would not be stopped. This was something he had been waiting to say for a while now._

"_I did all of it to forget. To forget that I had killed you, that I had run away from Tifa, when all she wants to do is love me. From Marlene and Denzel, who have always looked up to me. How can they? I'm a broken spirit. I didn't even know something was wrong with you after you came back by yourself from the Mansion. We made love that night, and after I fell asleep, you left to get Jenova. I never knew anything was wrong until Zach woke me up, telling me that you had gone insane and the village was burning. That everyone was dead. Until I was pulling myself down that sword, I finally looked into your eyes, and I didn't see you. It was then I realized that you weren't the Sephiroth I had fallen in love with, but something else. It was already to late though, for both of us. After Hojo, I let Zach die. After everything he did for me, for us, for everyone, and I still let him die. I don't deserve to be here anymore, with everything I've done." _

_Cloud collapsed back onto his knees, his sword clenched loosely in one hand. He shook his head, over and over again, images of the things he had done over his lifetime flashing through his brain. He had tried so very hard to forget everything. Nothing he had ever done, could get rid of this hatred inside. Not a hatred for anyone else, no. A hatred of himself. Self-loathing that went so deep, that he looked at the sharp edge of his blade, and suddenly made a decision. As he pressed his left wrist to the blade, slicing it vertically, and deeply enough to see bone, he felt Sephiroth's presence blow around him in a state of disbelief and anger. Cloud only shook his head, and proceeded to do the same to his right wrist. Heedless of the fierce wind whipping around him, he watched his life blood drain from him, the cuts to deep for even his enhanced healing, as he had watched his love's drain away almost two years ago. He raised his head, and smiled, the blackness sucking him down. 'I will see you all soon,' he thought, before darkness completely took him._

_----------_

Cloud surfaced from his memory, gasping. He pushed himself away from everyone, stumbling to the door, and down the hallway. He slammed the doors shut in his mind, not wanting the other two to be inadvertently dragged into the memories that were still flashing through his mind. He made his way outside, his heart slowly freezing solid with every step he took and the fire in his eyes slowly died, the wounds on his arm and hands healing quickly. He went to the shed where their bikes were housed, and with narrowed eyes, slipped his sleek black and gold motorcycle into the pale light of a new dawn. Cloud squinted at the horizon, not really believing that it had taken all night to relive that. He had swung his leg over the bike, and was getting ready to start it, when his hearing picked up three sets of running feet. He looked up slowly as Sephiroth, Zach, and Vincent stopped by the bike.

"You saved me, didn't you?" Cloud asked quietly, looking at Sephiroth. The tall man only nodded, not trying to hide the tears that were building in his eyes. Cloud looked away quickly, before anything he said could undo the coldness that had settled over his heart. He was done with all of this shit. Letting himself care for people had only hurt him, and them. Yet he couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"I… " Sephiroth started, and then trailed off. "It wasn't what I wanted for you. I healed you, and it was in seeing deep into your heart as I did, that made my mind up. I didn't want you to hurt like that anymore. I came back for you Cloud, because of the hatred and anger in your heart. You had no way to heal it, no one that you would turn to. But I knew that you would turn to Zach and I, as you always have." The last word broke, and the tears finally fell down his face, but he made no move to go to the now black haired man. Vincent and Zach were staring at him as though they had never seen him before. Sephiroth gave a small smile, realizing that he had let no one but Cloud ever see the true General.

Cloud sat on his bike, fighting back tears. He shook his head violently, raising it slowly to give all three of them an icy glare.

"Why did you really come back Sephiroth, Zach? Somehow I doubt that it was for me, and me alone. Are you looking to take over the world again, my love?" The venom in Cloud's voice made Sephiroth back up a step, his entire body shutting down into the cold mask he always fell back on. "At least you have always been honest with me about your intentions. The asshole standing next to you lied to me. He said that he would be there to stand at my side in Midgar. That we would make it together. How the fuck can you be killed by being shot? What kind of fucking SOLDIER are you Zach?" Cloud knew it was unfair of him to say that, since Zack had been shot more then fifty times, and stabbed just as many. 'He died to save me,' a small voice in his mind whispered. He shut the voice away, past the point of caring. Violence and fear were resting just under the surface of his skin, and Cloud was afraid of what he might do if he let those emotions get the best of him. But this was something he needed to say.

As he spoke the next words, his anger did leak through, which showed the other men just how on edge he was. "You two left me, and died. Well I have a question. What did the two of you think it would do to me, to have the two people I loved the most in the world, die on me?" He laughed softly, and lowered his eyes to watch the flickering light from them on the gleaming metal under him. When he raised them again, they were so dead, they weren't even glowing. "Why didn't you take me with you?" he whispered, staring into Sephiroth's eyes. Tears coursed down his cheeks, which was disturbing with the complete lack of emotion in his eyes. He took a deep breath, and launched himself off his bike straight towards Sephiroth. The older man barely got his Masamune out before their swords collided.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL ME TOO?!" Cloud screamed into his face. He whipped his sword around, and they began the fight in earnest, Zach and Vincent scrambling to get out of the line of fire. Clashes of metal on metal grew faster as they finally got behind Cloud's bike. They watched as the two fought it out, Sephiroth's face set in cool, arrogant lines, but his eyes were bleeding green fire, as Cloud's were bleeding blue. They were holding back so much, until Cloud got a lucky swipe, and cut Sephiroth open from his left hip, up over his chest, to his right shoulder. Cloud stepped back, neither of them breathing hard.

"I see you learned some new things," Sephiroth said quietly. Cloud didn't respond, he didn't even seem like he heard. Suddenly they were fighting again, and neither Zach or Vincent blinked, because they knew if they did, they might miss something.

Zach had seen both of them fight before, but never with each other, not like this. He clenched the hilt of his sword in his fist, and watched the blur of the two fighters. He was hoping that he wouldn't have to step in, and as he saw a splash of red from Cloud, he stood, ready to end it. Suddenly, it was over, and Sephiroth had Cloud on the ground, his double bladed Masamune held to Cloud's throat.

"I didn't take you with me," Sephiroth said slowly, blood dripping sluggishly from the healing wound on his chest. "Because I love you. I have loved you since the first time I saw you practice with that sword, the strength and stubbornness it took for you to learn how to wield it. I knew that you had friends that loved you, and I didn't want to be selfish, and keep you to myself. They needed you too." Sephiroth turned and walked away into the mansion, sheathing his sword as he did.

Cloud blinked a couple times, and slowly got to his feet. He felt his heart thaw a little, and as he watched Sephiroth disappear into the mansion, he realized that there was no way he was going to give him up again. Not without a fight. 'Yea, I promise myself that now,' he thought with a shiver of fear. It was to much like a premonition for his tastes, so he pushed the thought away. He picked up his sword, and turned to Zach and Vincent.

"I-" was all he got out before Zach wrapped him up in a bear hug.

"Don't you ever think about killing yourself again, got it?" Zach whispered fiercely, slowly letting him go. "We are here, and were going to stay." Before Cloud could respond, Vincent said something softly.

"Go to him Cloud. He needs you more then we do right now." Cloud nodded, and slowly followed his love into the house. He found him at the back patio, staring into the red orb that was the dawn, arms crossed over his chest, completely heedless of the blood that was drying on his torn clothing. Cloud had to stop and stare, because he was just so damn beautiful. Sephiroth turned his head slightly, and suddenly tears were standing in Clouds eyes again. He reached out, and would have fallen if Sephiroth hadn't been there to catch him. They clung to each other in the light of a new day, tears falling silently and swiftly from both sets of eyes, and finally, let their pasts go.


	8. Revelations

**Slightly happier chapter. I couldn't resist giving Vincent a blade. It seems as right to me as his gun. **

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Zach sighed, staring out the window at the dawn as he slowly drank a cup of black coffee. It had been a couple days since Seph and Cloud had made up, and watching them together only made Zach realize how much he missed that kind of company. Zach shook himself, getting rid of the negative emotions, before pouring three more cups of the dark brew, and taking them out into the garden out back. He blinked as he came upon a very unusual sight. Vincent had decided to stay with them for a while, since there was nothing for him to get back to, but this was the first time Zach had seen him without the red cape. He was dressed simply in a red tank top, his metal arm, and various scars bare to the world. Black jeans were equally simple, his hair tied back away from his face with the red bandana he usually wore around his forehead, and bare feet. What was even stranger was that he was holding a thin blade. He stumbled, his violet eyes widening even more as he saw his sparring partner.

Sephiroth was wearing only a pair of jeans, slung low enough on his hips, that his bones could easily be seen. He wasn't wearing any shoes either. He was holding the Masamune easily, and with another start, Zach realized that Vincent's blade was almost the same length, maybe a foot shorter, same width, but double edged, and it curled more, forming a hook on the tip. Zach stopped where he was and merely watched the two of them spar for a couple minutes, concentrating on Vincent more then Sephiroth. He never knew Vincent could wield a sword, let along one that took as much skill as something so closely resembling the Masamune. He shook himself one more time, and whistled loudly, walking closer to them. Vincent and Seph stopped immediately, lowering their blades as they looked at Zach.

"Coffee," Zach said simply, reaching them. The two men took their cups, and followed him to where Cloud was sitting underneath the giant oak tree. Zach laughed as he noticed Cloud wasn't wearing anything but jeans. His feet were bare too. "I feel over dressed."

Zach stripped off his shirt and shoes quickly, before settling down next to a now grinning Cloud, sipping his drink as the rest did theirs. He didn't notice as both Cloud's and Sephiroth's eyes widened at the first look they had of the scars that covered Zach's upper body.

'I never knew he had those,' Cloud thought, narrowing his eyes. 'Where did he get them? Hojo never tortured him like he did me.' Zach leaned against the tree, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the day seep into him, oblivious to everything around him. He opened his eyes at something Sephiroth said, and his jaw dropped open as Vincent laughed, his eyes sparkling. His eyes bulged as Sephiroth playfully shoved Vincent, smiling. They all looked at him at the same time, and it was no wonder they all started laughing at him, because he knew he looked like a fish out of water.

"What?" Sephiroth asked him, his voice still warm with laughter. Zach couldn't respond immediately, and just pointed to Vincent, who's eyes shut down, and his face closed completely.

"I never thought I would ever see ice man here thaw," Zach said. Zach grinned, and had an insane idea as Vincent raised an eyebrow, relaxing again, a small smile coming back out. Zach set his coffee down, and then launched himself at Vincent, tackling him to the ground. Vincent let out a yell of surprise, but before long the two men were wrestling around on the ground, one of them trying to get the upper hand. Zach heard Cloud and Sephiroth laughing, and grinned as Vincent made a slow grab at his hair, giving him ample time to get away. He did, and stood, laughing. Holding out a hand to the red-eyed man, he yelped in surprise as the ex-Turk swept his feet out from under him, making him land hard on the ground.

Vincent slowly got to his feet, staring at Zach where he lay. He settled into position, his hands held loosely in fists in front of him.

"You wanna try for real this time?" Vincent asked softly, smirking. Zach grinned, and stood, readying himself, before starting a complicated series of movements, which Vincent easily blocked. They both got into the rhythm, until neither was holding back. It became a race to see who the faster man was, and finally, after almost a half hour of sparring, Zach landed a lucky blow on Vincent's shoulder, making him stumble. Zach moved in quickly, and took him to the ground, straddling his waist, while he used both hands to hold the others down.

"Yield?" Zach panted. Vincent nodded, breathing heavily as well. Zach stood, and offered the other man a hand up, which he took gratefully. Zach turned to Seph and Cloud, and groaned as he saw the silver haired man lying with his head in Clouds lap.

"Get a room you two," he said laughing as he walked back and picked up his coffee, drinking it even though it was cold, before sliding his shirt back on. "There's three stories of them right over there." He poked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the mansion. Vincent laughed, and then froze as he saw someone at the entrance to the back garden. Three other pairs of eyes followed his, and a blur of blond and black went rushing past him in a dead run, as the person turned and ran back into the mansion. Zach raised an eyebrow, and turned to Vincent, who had gone paler, if that was possible.

"Was that who I think it was?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Yes," Vincent said softly, his face back to its usual cold mask. Zach grimaced, and turned in time to hear the yelling begin.

"Well shit," he said with feeling.

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"What do you mean, he came back for you? He tried killing you! Multiple times!" Tifa screamed into Clouds face. He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, she launched into another tirade.

"You've told me time and time again that he was your worst enemy, that he was the reason Zach died, that Aeris died, that so many people died! He was the one who tried destroying the Planet! Not only once, but twice! Or did you forget those little details? He's a monster Cloud! He's not even human! How could you let something like that touch you? How could you give up everything for him? How could you leave me, and the rest of us!?" The tears were starting to fall from her eyes, and she turned away from Cloud as the man tried hugging her. He took a deep breath, but before he could say anything, again, they were swept away into a vision filled with flowers.

He had time to take a quick look around and notice that the other three men were there with them, before he heard a loud slap. He looked over at Tifa in time to watch her fall on her ass as Aeris smacked her. Hard.

"You little bitch!" Aeris said in a hiss. All four men twitched, startled. Aeris had never used such language, and as Cloud gazed at her, he realized he had never seen her this angry before.

"You don't understand one damn thing," she said to the woman sitting on the ground holding her cheek. "Sephiroth was completely and utterly controlled by Jenova. The man that you met all those times was not the man that he truly was. Sephiroth loves Cloud, and vice versa. He never said anything to anyone, because-"

"Aeris," Cloud said softly, touching her on the arm. She looked at him, and then glared murderously at Tifa, before walking over to join the other men. Cloud kneeled down next to the dark haired woman, and lightly touched her on the arm to get her attention. "I never told you about how I felt about Sephiroth, because I was scared how everyone would react."

Tifa just looked at him. Her dark eyes were blank and uncomprehending, and then suddenly a light dawned in them.

"The two of you…the two of you were lovers?" she asked softly. At Clouds nod, her eyes widened, and she looked past him to the three men, her eyes settling on the tall, silver haired man standing in the middle. Cloud looked as well, and had to smile as Seph laughed at something Zach said. "Even Vincent has forgiven him, hasn't he?" Cloud nodded once again, and his heart gave a mighty leap when she turned her eyes back to him, only now they were understanding, if a little hurt. "Never once have you touched me, even though I offered myself. I always knew there was something different about you, someone else besides me who held your heart. If Vincent, of all people, can forgive him, then I can at least try." Cloud smiled widely, and standing, helped Tifa to her feet. He gave her a big hug, which she resisted for a moment, before melting into it, hugging him back.

"I love you Tifa," he whispered into her ear. "Never forget that. You were my first friend, kinda." She laughed at that, wiping away the sudden tears in her eyes. She linked her arm with his, and walked with him over to where the others were waiting. They stopped, and she looked at Vincent, who watched her with guarded eyes.

"You forgive him?" she asked softly. She smiled slightly at his nod, and then turned all of her attention to Sephiroth, who wore his mask of bored arrogance. "If you can win Clouds love, then you must indeed be someone special." Then she did something no one else there expected. She held out her hand to the man. After a slight pause, he slowly reached out and took it. He gave her an impish grin, and quickly kissed her hand.

"I have always wanted to truly meet the woman that Cloud always talked about. It is a true honor, Tifa." She laughed, and pulled her hand away, looking at Cloud.

"You talked about me?"

"We couldn't get him to shut up!" Zach said then, laughing as he slung an arm over Clouds shoulders. The blond laughed as well, and pushed him slightly, knocking him into Aeris, who caught him with an indignant shout. Zach straightened, and for a moment as he gazed into those dark eyes, he forgot everyone that was standing around them. Clearing his throat, he grinned. "It was always Tifa this, and Tifa that. He was always talking about how beautiful you were, how you were an amazing fighter." Then Zach did something that no one around them had ever seen before. He gracefully knelt down on one knee, and taking Tifa's hand, he gently kissed it, looking into her eyes the entire time. He smiled slowly at her blush, before rising. "Now that I have finally met you, I realize that everything he said was true. You are amazingly beautiful." Tifa laughed again, albeit nervously, and drew her hand away.

"I don't know who you are, really," she finally admitted, even though she was charmed by this black haired man. "Your face looks familiar, but I still don't know you." Zach grinned, and bowed.

"Zachary Fair, at your service, my lady. 1st Class SOLDIER, scoundrel, and charmer." His grin grew bigger at the startled look on her face, then she turned to Cloud.

"Is this the same Zach?" He nodded, and suddenly she threw herself into the black haired mans arms, surprising them all once again.

"I can never thank you enough for what you did for Cloud," she said against his ear, crying softly. Zach wrapped his arms around her, marveling at the softness that was all woman. She had steel in her though, and as she cried on his shoulder, he found himself drawn to the dark haired woman in a way he didn't expect. He looked up, catching Aeris's eyes. She smiled at him, and nodded, telling him silently that it was all right, that she didn't mind if something happened. He smiled at her, and she waved her hand again, and suddenly they were back in the garden behind the mansion.

Tifa withdrew her arms from around his neck, and looking around, she smiled softly at the sight of Sephiroth and Cloud together, their arms around each other's waist. Her smile became a full grin as she realized Cloud had his arm around the other mans waist, but Sephiroth had to put his arm around the blonds' shoulders because he was so damn tall. She giggled, and Cloud looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said smartly, brushing past everyone to walk back into the mansion. The four men looked at each other, and it was Vincent who broke the silence first.

"Well, that could of gone a lot worse," he said with a small smile. They all grinned, and suddenly they were drawn back into the field of flowers with Aeris. She smiled at them apologetically, and then her eyes filled with tears. She held out a hand as Zach and Cloud both moved towards her.

"I have something I need to tell all of you," she said, wrapping her arms around her middle, hugging herself. "It is not easy for me to say, and none of you are going to like it." She stopped, looking at them, before gazing down at the floor, breathing deeply. The others just waited, a nervous tension winding its way through their bodies. None of them said anything, merely waiting until Aeris raised her head again.

"Cloud, you killed Hojo, correct?" Cloud raised an eyebrow at the question, and thinking back, he nodded yes. "Are you completely sure?" Cloud opened his mouth to say of course he was, and then blinked as he remembered that battle. No. Now that he thought about it, it was possible he had lived. Cloud had gotten out of there as quickly as he could. He looked at Aeris, and at the grim reality in her eyes, his world swam.

"No. No fucking way. Not him. Not again." He whispered softly, and would of fallen to his knees had Sephiroth not caught him, holding him to his body.

"Aeris," Zach said softly, horror in his eyes. "Tell me that he is not still alive. Tell me that Cloud killed that fucking bastard." She shook her head, and sighed, tears rolling down her cheeks again.

"My Elders have informed me that they have been watching a slowly increasing monster infection around the Northern Crater. They did more digging, and found Hojo at the center of it. He has been using what little remains of Jenova he found, to create horrible monsters. He has experimented with human, animal, anything he can get his hands on. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but something needs to be done, and quickly. At the rate he is making these things, the Planet will be overrun within a couple years."

The four men stared at her, each one with horror plain on their faces. Not being able to take it anymore, she transported them back into the gardens.

"Fucked. Were all fucked." Sephiroth said quietly. Cloud only nodded against his chest, before straightening slowly, his eyes blazing with blue fire. Cloud looked at each man in turn, a horrible rage beginning in his chest, and slowly radiating outwards. He watched in smug satisfaction as each mans eyes began to glow with an answering anger. Each one of them had been fucked over by Hojo, and now they would finally have a chance to take some of that anger out on the man who deserved it. Cloud grinned slowly, knowing what his face must look like, but the answering grins on the other faces made him grin even wider.

"We need to talk to Rufus," he said quietly. Each man nodded. "I think it's time we brought everyone back together again."


	9. Capture

**My own version of what I think went on with Hojo and Cloud. If your squeamish of torture, then I warn you, do not read. I didn't hold back any punches. As always, I do not hold the rights, SquareEnix does. Reviews are always welcome!**

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They informed Tifa what was going on, and as Vincent, Sephiroth, and Tifa were talking about strategies', Zach and Cloud went out to check on the bikes. They were making last minutes adjustments, before starting each one up in turn. Cloud smiled at the sound. Each one was running perfectly, and they all had a full tank of fuel. He turned off his bike, and sat down on the seat, staring down at his boots, battle plans already running through his head. He was startled when Zach came and sat down next to him, because he was so lost in thought. He raised his eyes up to look at the other man, and sighed at the worried expression in those violet eyes.

"You going to be able to handle this?" Zach asked softly, looking towards the mansion at the slightly raised voices. He turned back to Cloud, and narrowed his eyes at the panicked look. "Cloud-" he didn't finish, because as he put his hand on Clouds arm, the door between then was thrown wide open, and he was drawn into what Cloud was remembering. 'This really sucks,' he thought, before being swept away.

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_Cloud opened his eyes slowly, breathing slowly, because to do anything else, he would choke on the mako that surrounded him. He looked next to him, to see Zach open his eyes as well. Zach gave him a small, brave smile, and Cloud returned it, even if inside he burned with an anger for the dark haired man. Instantly it was wiped from his face, fear making his eyes bright as he heard the door to the lab being thrown open. He watched as Hojo walked in, an assistant trailing behind him, taking notes as he muttered to himself. The scientist walked over to the container that had Cloud, and the blond just watched him, keeping his eyes and face completely shut down. He knew it wouldn't last long, but for right now, he could do it. He shivered as the liquid around him began to drain out, and as soon as it got away from his mouth, he began coughing it out of his lungs. The door was thrown open, and since he was leaning on it, he fell weakly to the ground. Hojo was muttering something again, and Zach was yelling, but all he could hear was the soft buzzing filling his ears. He felt strong arms lifting him up, before carrying him over to a steel lab table, and then strapping him in. He struggled, even though he knew it was futile. He watched through fuzzy eyes as the scientist stood by his side, preparing to inject him with another round of Jenova's mixture. He felt the needle punch into his veins, and his body started to glow softly as the mixture traveled through his body. _

_Cloud gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to scream. The burning was starting to consume him, and he knew that this was only the first injection for the day. As the second injection started swimming through his veins, he did scream, because with that much pain, it was all he could do._

_----------_

In the real world, both Zach and Cloud screamed, as they were doing in the memory. Zach with a burning anger, and Cloud with pure pain. The other three came running out of the mansion to find the two men passed out on the ground. Sephiroth was the first to kneel by their sides, and he made the mistake of touching Cloud. Suddenly, he was drawn into the memory along with them, and he collapsed. Tifa gave Vincent a questioning look, and he just shook his head.

"Give them a couple minutes. I don't want to know what memory their sharing, and neither do you, so don't touch them." She nodded, and the two of them settled down to wait.

----------

_Cloud struggled against the bonds, the table and straps creaking under his violent movements. Hojo watched dispassionately as Cloud cursed him, screaming for him to just kill him already. Cloud watched as Hojo motioned for one of the aides to come over, and hold him down. He screamed even more, now with anger as well as pain as the aide did what he was told. Hojo injected him with another one, his third one in less then an hour, and it was too much for Cloud to handle. He began to cry, still screaming, his body bucking against the cold metal with the pain. He finally collapsed, and stared off into space, his eyes swimming with glowing green and blue. Lost in his own mind, he didn't even register as Hojo pumped more and more into him, finally forgoing the syringe, and setting up an i.v. drip so he would get a constant dose. Cloud wasn't dead yet, and Hojo planned on testing him to destruction._

_He was lost in his own mind, snatches of memories floating across his conscious. Sephiroth's smile, and Zach's laughter. He remembered the way his mother looked out in the backyard, tending the small garden they owned, and how he used to follow Tifa around, spying on her, thinking that she was the most beautiful person in the world, next to his mom. His mind jumped back to the day before he was to take the SOLDIER exam, the last training that Sephiroth and Zach were giving him. He didn't know that both of them had recommended him for the 1__st__ class test. He watched the three of them, and realized he was watching his own memory in third person. He was brought back to himself for a moment as he felt Hojo slap him, but he didn't have the energy to yell, so he merely growled and slipped back into his own memory._

_He marveled at his own speed, as he defended himself against both Zach and Sephiroth. He saw that he was using a regular sword, the ones that the Army was given. He twitched, and then smiled slightly. At this time, he wasn't sure if he would try for a sword like Sephiroth's, or Zach's. He was leaning towards a sword like Seph's, because he had the speed, and agility to pull it off. However, he also had the strength to use the Buster Sword. The memory fast-forwarded, and his heart ached as he saw the three of them laughing together, wiping the sweat from their bodies with small towels. They all put away their swords, and walked out of the room, Sephiroth leading Cloud to his room. Cloud smiled, remembering that Sephiroth had set up dinner, and a relaxing soak in the large tub in his bathroom. Afterwards, they had made love in the candlelight, and after that, Cloud had heard Sephiroth sing for the first, and last time. _

_It was the next day, and Cloud grinned to himself, twitching as Hojo cut his arm open, a sadistic smile on the scientists face, but he didn't feel it. He watched himself pass the written test, and then the physical test. Later that night, he was crossing the stage, shaking hands with all the important people, a silly grin on his face. He had made it. He was a SOLDIER 1__st__ Class. _

_He was ripped out of the memory as Hojo unstrapped him, and dumped him to the floor. He barely had enough strength to catch himself and look up at Hojo, hatred burning in his gaze. Hojo only smiled, and grabbing him by his hair, dragged him a short ways away, and threw him into a small room. Cloud raised his head at the sound of hurried footsteps, and saw Zach rushing towards him. They were both locked in the room together._

"_Hey, Spike," Zach said quietly, kneeling down next to the other man. "You doing okay?" Cloud nodded, and let the dark haired man help him sit up against the wall, his eyes closed as he fought to regain some sort of control of his body. He opened his eyes, and both he and Zach turned to see Hojo throwing their weapons at them. The two men caught them on reflex, but Clouds clattered to the floor, because he didn't have the strength to hold it up. Hojo merely smirked, and crossing his arms over his chest, he laughed._

"_You are so pathetic," he said. "Fight him." Cloud just looked at him, and Hojo's grin slipped as anger filled his eyes. "Fight him, or I will hurt you." Cloud swallowed, and looked at Zach. He opened his mouth, and coughed, doubling over himself as pain racked his body. Zach grabbed him, and then was wrenched away by Hojo, and thrown to the other side of the room. Zach got up and leveled his sword at the scientist, but the other man just smiled, and held a gun to Cloud's head._

"_Try it, SOLDIER," he said quietly. Zach narrowed his eyes, but lowered his sword. Zach knew he could kill Hojo, but not before the man pulled the trigger. No matter what they did to him, he would never be fast enough with the gun resting against Cloud's hair. Hojo smiled, and knelt down next to the blond._

"_Fight him. I want to see if there's an improvement."_

"_I can't," Cloud whispered, his throat hurting to much to do anything else. He felt the anger roll off Hojo, and couldn't even bring himself to care, even though he knew what was coming. It had happened multiple times before. _

"_What do you mean, you can't? Fine, then I'll just have to teach you a lesson." He swiftly grabbed Cloud by the hair, and before Zach could even move, Hojo locked Zach into the room by himself. He watched through the window as Hojo wrapped something around Cloud's wrists, and slid a hook through them, lifting him up so he hung above the floor. Cloud heard Zach pounding and screaming behind him, but as the first knife cut into the skin of his back, he couldn't hear anything else. His eyes glazed over, and he stared at the floor below him, watching his blood pool under him. He marveled that it could still be red, but it was swimming with glowing strands of blue and green. He concentrated on them, even as the pain in his back started to outweigh the burn that was flowing through him. _

_It wasn't until Hojo moved around him to start on his chest, that he was made to watch what the other man was doing to him. He watched numbly as Hojo made delicate cuts on his chest and stomach, and began to slowly peel away the skin. He watched, his breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps, as his muscle was revealed. 'That's something that should never see the outside,' was his last thought before he began screaming again. _

_----------_

Cloud dragged them out of the memory, slamming the doors shut, and when he opened his eyes, groaning, his hand went immediately to his stomach, tracing the wide, smooth scar where the skin had grown back. He rolled over onto his hands and knees as the two other men stirred, and by sheer will alone he kept the food in his stomach. He staggered to his feet, and looked over at Vincent and Tifa, who were sitting on the ground not far from them. Vincent raised an eyebrow, and got gracefully to his feet.

"Is it done?" he asked softly. Cloud nodded, and turned to look at Zach, who was leaning against Cloud's bike, holding his head in his hands.

"When was that, could you tell?" he asked. Zach looked up at him, and Cloud finally saw the small scars that ran on the outside of his hands, from where he beat his hands bloody every day for five years against the cage that held him. Zach slowly got to his feet, and sat down on the seat of the bike, breathing deeply.

"I don't know what's worse," he said quietly, his eyes closed. "Having my own memory of watching all that fucked up shit happen to you, or sharing one of yours, and getting to feel it first hand." A shudder ran down his back, and he looked up at Cloud. "It's no wonder you shut down. That was only about a year after we were taken. At least me keeping you alive saved the world, right Spike?" He smiled slightly at Cloud, who only nodded. He remembered hating Zach because the man refused to let him die. He still hated Zach a little, but it was pushed away every time it tried coming to the surface. He couldn't blame Zach for what he did, anymore then he could blame Sephiroth. Shaking his head, and ridding his mind of the thoughts, he turned to Sephiroth. He had a small smile on his face, even though his eyes were full of sorrow, and anger. Cloud merely raised an eyebrow at the man, and waited.

"I guess we have more in common then I thought," he said, rising to his feet. He lifted up his shirt, and Cloud took in the scar on his stomach, his eyes narrowing as he reached up to rub the almost identical scar on his. "Hojo was never into change." Cloud shook himself, his anger threatening to rise up and wash him away. He forced his mind to concentrate on the matter at hand, turning to Vincent and Tifa, who were watching the three of them with inquiring looks on their faces.

"Vincent, you know how to drive one of these, right?" At Vincent's nod, he nodded as well, and slung his leg over his bike, settling down into the seat. He gave a small sigh of relief as neither Vincent or Tifa asked what the memory had been about. He was sure Vincent could handle it, but wasn't sure about Tifa. She may be a fighter, but she still had a soft heart. Zach and Vincent did the same to theirs, and Tifa climbed behind Zach, and Sephiroth got on behind Cloud.

"Are we ready to do this?" He asked quietly. At their nods, he started his bike, grinning at the sound of the engines purring. Seph wrapped his arms around his waist, and whispered in his ear.

"We will get the bastard this time," he said, and the tone in his voice made Cloud shiver, and not for a good reason. It was so deep with his anger that Cloud had a hard time recognizing it as his love's voice. "He will not walk away this time. I plan on doing to him what he did to us, with my own small additions thrown in." Cloud couldn't help but laugh, and Sephiroth laughed with him. The two of them knew exactly what their laughter sounded like, and as the other exchanged worried looks, Cloud smirked.

"Shall we dance?" he said quietly, and at Sephiroth's quiet yes, he gunned the engine, and flew down the path, and out the gates.

Zach watched them fly past, and looked over at Vincent.

"I thought it was bad when they were fighting each other," he said. Vincent nodded, his eyes never leaving the swiftly departing bike.

"If I didn't hate Hojo so much, I could almost feel sorry for him." He glanced over at Zach, and smirked at the look in those dark eyes. "Almost." Zach nodded, an evil grin on his face, and a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Is it bad that I want to find him before they do? At least I know I'll have enough self-restraint to leave some for other people when I get done with him. I have a feeling that Cloud and Sephiroth aren't going to leave much behind." Tifa finally spoke from behind Zach.

"Cloud couldn't do that to someone," she said with such conviction, that Zach and Vincent just looked at each other. Vincent raised his eyebrow, and Zach shook his head slightly.

"What?" Tifa asked, peering at the two of them. "What am I missing?" Zach laughed, putting the bike in gear, and went racing after the other two. Over his shoulder, he yelled at her.

"A lot."


	10. Training

**Brining everyone back together, yay! If anyone knows the real age of Denzel and Marlene at this time, feel free to correct me. Review please!**

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Sephiroth rubbed his hand slowly over the knee next to him, trying to give what comfort he could to Cloud. They had made it to Healin by the end of the first week of September, and called everyone together. Reeve had been the first to arrive, then Yuffie, Nanaki, Barrett, and finally Cid. The first time anyone saw him, they opened their mouth to say something, anger already gathering in their faces. Then they would see the way Cloud would casually take his hand, or rise on tiptoe to whisper something in his ear, and each one shut their mouths before saying anything. In the two days it had taken to gather everyone, Rufus had gotten over the shock of seeing both him and Zach back alive, and even talked to them as civilized people. Sephiroth shrugged slightly to himself, and shook his head at Cloud's inquiring glance. He smiled as he felt Cloud's hand on his, and he relaxed enough to gaze around at the assortment of people gathered. Sephiroth removed his hand from Clouds knee as the other man stood, surveying each person in turn that was gathered around the large table.

"We have a problem," he said quietly. Reno jumped to his feet from where he was sitting next to Rufus, and glared at Cloud.

"Your damn right we have a problem," he said with a pointed look at Sephiroth and Zach. The two men glanced at each other, and grinned, before looking back to Reno with identical raised eyebrows. "Why the hell is he here? He's dead. Well, he should be dead. You killed him-" he swallowed his words at the sudden sword that was pressed to his throat.

Tifa gazed at the red haired man, Zach's sword resting easily in her hand, despite the weight of it. Everyone was staring at her in amazement, especially Yuffie, Cid, and Barrett. Reeve and Rufus just looked bored, but Rude suddenly had his hand on his baton, ready as always to do his job, should the situation call for it. Cloud and Vincent both had small smiles on their faces, amused as hell at the look of near panic in Reno's eyes.

"You say one more word against him, any of them, and I will kill you, understand?" Reno nodded, swallowed, and sat back down, his face slightly pale. With a small flourish, Tifa slid the sword smoothly back to Zach. Zach was gazing at her, and it was the look in his eyes that made Rufus, Cloud, and Sephiroth start laughing. He looked like a lovesick teenager that just saw his dream girl walk out of a magazine. Zach blinked, and looked over everyone, a small blush rising to his cheeks. Tifa caught his eyes, and gave him a small, heated smile, which he answered, before settling himself back into his seat. Cloud got control of himself, before looking at Rufus.

"We have been informed that Hojo is still alive." His words dropped like a stone down a well, and everyone waited for it to hit the bottom. Everyone exploded at once with questions, and Cloud had to yell them to silence. When he was sure he had everyone's attention again, he continued.

"Aeris came to us, and explained that her Elders have found activity around the Northern Crater. It seems that Hojo has been collecting what little bit of active Jenova cells that are left, and using her cells to experiment on anything, and everything he can get his hands on. I already contacted Icicle Village, and they have told me that they have already been attacked multiple times, and their dead carried off. Now, we need to get this information out into the public as quick as possible. I am not saying that we need to rebuild ShinRa, but the army needs to be reformed as least. I don't know how long this war is going to last, and those who are gathered here are strong, but we're still going to need help."

Rufus nodded, and then it was his turn to stand. He watched Cloud sit next to Sephiroth, and once again wondered about their relationship. His eyes were captured by the dark haired Wutai ninja, all thoughts fleeing his mind as their gazes met. 'Damn she's beautiful,' he thought, before shaking himself.

"I agree, Cloud. This is something that we do need to do something about. I suggest you all get started immediately. Go to the different cities, make sure the populace knows what were up against, and that we need fighters. I will go to Midgar, and get some people to help rebuild the training center there." He nodded at everyone, and they all filed out, except for Reno and Rude. He looked at them, his baby blue eyes worried.

"Are we doing the right thing, you think?" Rude just shrugged, which was what he expected, but he didn't expect the thoughtful tone to Reno's voice.

"It's what needs to be done. If what Cloud said is right, and I have never known the man to lie, then this is going to take some serious manpower." Then he blinked, and grinned at his boss. "Besides, now we won't be bored."

-------

By the end of September, the word had gone out, and people started pouring into Midgar. Those that had lost family members to the monsters were the first ones to get there, and the training facility was up and running by the end of October. Cloud's 25th birthday came and went on the 31st, and only Sephiroth, Zach, and Tifa were invited to the party. Sephiroth and Cloud were living together, as were Tifa and Zach, and surprisingly, Yuffie and Rufus. Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach were there training the new recruits' in swordsmanship, and Tifa and Vincent were training in hand to hand. Things were wonderful for the couple months that they were there. Eventually everyone got over their weariness of Sephiroth and Zach coming back from the dead, and Sephiroth even began to lose the coldness that he had carried around for so long.

Cloud was finally smiling again, and Barrett, Reeve, and Nanaki were amazed at the transformations that had come over their fellow teammates. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, even with the knowledge that a great battle was just over the horizon. Everyone agreed, even if it was only in their minds. This was the happiest they had been, in a long time.

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It wasn't until January that the instructors felt their students were ready to try real combat, and there were two that graduated into the SOLDIER program. There was no longer any defining class to SOLDIER, they were just the Elite of the army. Denzel, and amazingly Marlene, were being promoted into SOLDIER. The girl was an amazement, because she was only eight years old at the time. Even though she was small, and young, the girl was amazing to watch. She could even beat Sephiroth one out of three bouts she had with him. Even though Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett had argued strenuously against her joining, she had looked at them, and there was a very grown up look in her eyes.

"I know I'm young. I know I'm a girl. I also know that I'm small, and weak. I will grow up, and I will not be small and weak for long. I can't change that I'm a girl, so I'm not going to try. I am going to do this, and none of you can stop me." They all had just gaped at her, while Zach and Sephiroth laughed in the background. They all made sure she had the knowledge she needed, and she exceeded their expectations, just as Denzel did. No one expected them to succeed, and some of the others had even laughed at the two small children. They stopped laughing when they saw Denzel, with his Katana, as he now called it, a thin blade not unlike the Masamune, just not as long, and Marlene, with her Glaive. It was a weapon that had a foot long metal shaft in the middle, with two-foot blades attached to both ends, which could come apart to form two separate swords. For their physical test, the two children were given a choice. They could spar with Sephiroth, Cloud, or Zach, since they were trying to get into the SOLDIER program. They chose Sephiroth, because they knew that he was the one that was unlikely to hold back. By the end of the duel, Marlene was standing over Sephiroth, with her Glaive held to his neck. She was barely breathing hard. Denzel was standing off to one side, but he had been the one to get the great General on the floor. Needless to say, they both passed, and were accepted.

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It was April, and the flowers were blooming, the snow gone, and the grass green before they decided that it was time to do something. Reports had been coming in every week from villages, and now large cities in the northern continent, that Hojo's monsters were attacking, and dragging people and animals away. Everyone gathered in the conference room, taking their seats. Rufus clasped his hands together, and looked around at everyone, before speaking.

"It has been six months since we started this, and we finally have enough trained soldiers to try and fight back. This is how I want it to go. I want to send Sephiroth, Cloud, Denzel, and Marlene to the outlying area around the Crater, and try to get an estimate of exactly what were dealing with. In the mean time, I want the rest of you to go to the villages, and make sure that nothing else happens to the people there. Shore up the defenses, train the townsfolk, etc., etc." Tifa was about to object to Denzel and Marlene being included, but looked at the two children. 'No, not children, not anymore,' was her sad thought. She remembered just last week where the two of them went through a stealth mission. They had both passed with perfect scores, better then anyone before. Denzel had the help of his Jenova cells, but Marlene was just that good. She smiled, and it got even bigger as the two youths smiled back. She tuned herself back into what was being said, focusing on Sephiroth now as he stood, marking things on a map.

"We will start here, keeping to the woods for cover. Cloud and Marlene will go to the other side, for approximately six weeks, before we meet back up, here. At that point, we will combine our information, and should have an outline as to what we should expect. Total time, with the trip there, and back, should be about eight weeks. Two to get there and back, and six to do the survey." He sat down, and Rufus nodded to him, looking around at the group.

"Is it settled then?" At everyone's nods, he distributed the paperwork to each individual, explaining where he wanted them to go, and a signed paper that gave them rights to collect whatever they would need for the missions.

"Then it starts," Zach said softly. Even so, everyone heard him, and turned to look at him. The only eyes he would meet were Clouds and Sephiroth's. They gazed back, their glowing eyes filling with the knowledge of what a toll this war was going to take on everyone. Cloud suddenly smiled, and slowly Sephiroth and Zach followed suit. Everyone shivered, fear suddenly spiking in their bloodstreams at the cold, evil looks on the three SOLDIER's faces.

"At least we'll have fun before we die," Cloud said with a soft laugh. The other two nodded, and in one fluid, dangerous motion, they rose and walked out, Denzel and Marlene following like two silent, deadly shadows.


	11. Abduction

**I'm trying to explain things better in this chapter, and I hope it works.**

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Cloud cursed as he fought to keep Marlene in his sights. It was only the second day since they had split from Denzel and Seph, and already they were fighting for their lives. He swiftly cut down the monster in front of him, and turned in a semi-circle, cutting down another as it came for his back. He shook himself, and grimaced as he realized he was covered in their sticky black blood. He glanced up, and his eyes widened as he took in Marlene's prone form on the ground, about twenty feet away.

"Marlene!" He raced over to her, but was to late as one of the chocobo looking monsters grabbed her, and took off faster then even he could run. He tried anyway, calling her name as he cut down the beasts that were in his path, but eventually he was overrun, and it was either fight, or die. With the despair that was eating at him, as he swung repeatedly at the seemingly endless horde of beasts, he was tempted to just give up and let them take him. He gritted his teeth, and cut down the last of them, looking up at the rim of the crater where he knew the beast has taken Marlene. He couldn't go after her, not by himself. He would find Sephiroth and Denzel, and figure out what to do then. With a heavy heart, and an aching body, he made his way back to their campsite, packing things up, before he started trudging through the snow towards the rendezvous point. On his way out, he saw something lying in the snow, and walking over to it, he realized it was Marlene's Glaive. He picked it up, and snapping the bolt in the middle, he separated the two blades, attaching them to his pack. With a deep breath, he took off down the path again, eyes carefully watching the shadows for any sign of monsters.

----------

It took about six weeks for Cloud to get to the rendezvous point. Six weeks of fighting monsters who were sent after him by Hojo. 'Six fucking weeks of fighting everything thing Hojo has, being thrown at me constantly. Fuck, can't this man take a break?' he thought as he cut a swath through another throng of beasts. Frustration, anger, and a raging hate were slicing through him, making him burn in a constant halo of blue fire, his eyes black as the night. Four days before he would reach the point, the monsters stopped, turned their heads north, and drifted off across the snow-covered wasteland, back towards the crater. 'Well, that was special.' He shook his head, and forced his body to keep going, each step draining the fire into the ground, until he lost it completely, and he could finally feel the weariness on his body. It dragged him down, and that was why he didn't stop until he reached his goal. He forced his body to keep at it long enough to start a large fire, before collapsing next to it. He had enough sense to wrap himself around with a thick blanket, and then he was dead to the world for over twelve hours. He woke, did the math, and began making breakfast. 'Only a three days until they get here. If I can survive this long, I can do that.'

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That night, Sephiroth was startled as he saw Cloud sitting next to a large fire, a heavy blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and Marlene's Glaive across his lap. He did the math quickly, and realized that Cloud shouldn't have been here yet. Denzel and he were already three days ahead of schedule. His eyes focused on Cloud, and they narrowed as he took in the dark circles, and the slightly gauntness of his cheeks, and chest. Somehow, it suited him. As though a layer of him had peeled away to reveal what truly lay underneath. It was extremely appealing, in a vary dangerous way. Looking away from those searing eyes, he took in the surroundings, and narrowed his eyes as he noticed Marlene wasn't with him. Setting down his gear, he gave Denzel a sharp look as the boy opened his mouth, and motioned for him to set up the tent, before going over and settling down next to Cloud. The blond raised his arm, and Seph tucked himself into the blanket, and the other mans warmth. Setting his head on Clouds shoulder, he stared into the fire. He really didn't want to ask this next question, but it needed to be asked.

"Is she dead?" he said quietly, still staring at the fire. He felt Cloud tense, and held his breath, expecting the worse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the man shake his head no, and then cursed at the words that came out of his mouth.

"She was taken," he whispered softly. Sephiroth noted Denzel looking at them, and he stood, bringing Cloud with him. He led the other man away from the fire, Denzel glaring murderously at him the entire time. He walked, Clouds hand in his, until he could barely see the fire, and then turned to the blond.

"What do you mean, she was taken? And what the hell happened to you?"

"A monster took her. I talked to a traveling merchant and found out that Hojo has only been taking the dead that have Jenova cells in them. The only thing I can figure out is he learned about Denzel and Marlene, and knew that one of them had Jenova cells. He must of tracked us when we got here. He just didn't know which one, so I believe he plans to take them both. I know he needs the cells alive, for whatever he's trying to do."

Sephiroth stared at him a moment, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. This was bad. Many of the trainees were the ones that had Jenova cells in them. It made them faster, stronger, easier to heal. Because of Jenova, they all were somehow…more. He had a horrible thought, and opened his eyes to see Cloud staring up at the moon, his eyes drowning blue in the light.

"Cloud," he said, and swallowed. The other man looked at him, and drew the blanket tighter around his shoulders. "If he finds out that Marlene is SOLDIER, with no Jenova cells…he will experiment with her. He won't be able to resist."

Cloud nodded, and turned back to watching the moon. "I know. As much as I want to rush off and go rescue her right now, we can't, not with just the three of us. I think the two of us could handle it, but we would be no use by the time we got to Hojo, not with all the monsters running around." He started at the small cry that was made behind him, and both men took off running towards the fire, their swords already drawn.

They burst into the clearing, and stopped short, glaring at the monstrosity that held Denzel by the throat. Cloud blinked, the point of his sword dropping to the ground as his jaw dropped open in shock.

"Hojo?" he whispered. The…thing, in front of them was no longer a man. It had the body of a man, but it was covered in small, hard scales, and two extra arms sprouted from under the human ones, and they ended in scythe like blades. He now had multiple eyes, and they were faceted so they sparkled liked jewels in the firelight. His legs, from what they could tell, were still human.

"My failed experiment, how nice to see you again," the thing hissed, proving that it was still Hojo inside that twisted body. "I am taking the boy now, since I realized I grabbed the wrong one. Finally, a live specimen of Jenova. Don't worry about the girl, she is in my tender care." With a laugh, and a curiously high chittering sound, he turned and ran.

Cloud and Sephiroth tried going after him, but were soon ambushed by his beasts. By the time they killed the last one, it was dawn already, and they knew they would never catch up to Hojo now. Cloud took a deep breath, and throwing his head back, he screamed into the sky. Sephiroth made no attempt to touch him, because he was fighting back to strong urge to begin chopping down trees. His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, and as he turned to walk back to the camp, his eyes alighted on a glint of metal lying in the snow. He bent, and upon picking it up, saw that it was Denzel's Katana. With a heavy heart, he walked back to Cloud, where he had collapsed to his knees in the snow, his hands clenched into fists around the hilt of his sword.

"Cloud," he said softly, laying a hand gently on the other mans shoulder. Cloud looked up at him, and swallowed hard before a cold mask settled into place. It wasn't fast enough to hide the pain and self-hatred shining in those sapphire eyes. Sephiroth decided to let it go for now, and helped the other man to his feet. "We need to get moving. This has to be reported, and we have awhile to go."

Cloud nodded and got to his feet, swallowing once before he felt a peculiar calm settle over him. Sephiroth looked startled, and Cloud smiled slightly as he realized there must have been a change in his appearance. This was the mind state he had finally achieved after the first three days of burning from the inside out, this quiet place. He knew what needed to be done, and he did it. His body wasn't racked with fatigue, and his mind was no longer filled with doubt.

"What the hell. . ." Sephiroth said quietly, and he was staring at the Cloud that he had only seen in a memory. His eyes were the deepest blue they could be, and still be blue. They burned with his fire, the flames outlined with black, as it spread from his eyes, quickly over his face, before engulfing his body. Sephiroth gasped, and fell to his knees as the door inside his mind was ripped away by the force coming from Cloud. He looked up at the other man, and felt his eyes burst into flame.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, trying to ride the tidal wave of energy that was engulfing him, but he was soon swept away, and the fire consumed his body, making him burn with a delicious fire. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked up at Cloud, and knew in that moment that he would do anything for the man in front of him, to keep him from any, and all harm. He was his Lover, and he would defend him till the end.

"What is this Cloud?" Cloud shook his head, and held out a hand, helping Sephiroth to his feet. He spoke, his mouth not two inches from Seph's.

"I don't know. The last time I couldn't control it, but I have been in this state constantly for the past six weeks. I can ride the power better then you can." He pulled away, and began walking down the path, a fiery fallen angel. Sephiroth watched as with every step, Cloud swallowed that burning fire, till it was nothing but he in that slender body. He felt a whisper through his mind, through the still open door, and suddenly knew how to ride this power. He swallowed, and began to slowly drag the power inside of him. He was staring at Cloud the entire time, and he was staring back with that eerily calm gaze. When Sephiroth felt the last flame be sucked into himself, the door shut quietly between them, and it was only himself back inside his body. He brushed the other door in his mind, but suddenly knew that Zach wanted to be left alone. He blushed slightly, and focused back on Cloud. The other man had stopped, and was staring at him with a small smile on his face.

"They have been together for the past couple hours or so. Avoid doing anything more then just brushing that door or you'll get a visual." Seph raised an eyebrow, and had to grin slightly.

"You tried, didn't you?" He had to chuckle softly at the blush that rose in the blonds cheeks. Cloud quickly looked away, and started walking down the path again. He spoke from over his shoulder.

"We need to get going." Sephiroth grinned at the quickly retreating back, and shoving all his questions aside for now, he quickly followed him.

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Cloud led the way down the path, his steps becoming faster and faster until he was flying over the snow, Sephiroth easily keeping up with him. They made it to Icicle Village by that night, three days worth of travel done in one. The two of them got their gear put away in a room in the lodge, and Cloud called Rufus. Waiting for him to pick up the phone, Sephiroth walked up behind him, and started to massage his shoulders. Cloud relaxed into his love's hands, and was even smiling slightly by the time the other blond picked up the phone.

"Rufus."

"Its Cloud. We have a problem."

"I don't like it when you tell me that, Strife."

"Yea, I know, but this one is serious. The reason Hojo was taking the dead is that he is looking for a different source of Jenova cells to continue his experiments. He found out that dead cells aren't very good for trying to clone her cells. He also found out about Denzel, and Marlene, and he knew one of them carried Jenova. He just didn't know which one."

"Understood. So he took one of them?"

"Yes, he took Marlene on our second day out by ourselves. We were ambushed, and separated. I saw her knocked out, and when I went to go help, she was carried away. I attempted to follow, but was ambushed again, and by the time all the monsters were dead, there was no way I would have been able to follow. Not by myself."

"What about Denzel and Sephiroth?"

"I had only made it there a day and a half before Sephiroth and Denzel joined me. They arrived three days ahead of the actual rendezvous date. I can tell you from experience that Hojo has more beasts then we anticipated. I had the pleasure of having the damn things at me constantly for about six weeks. Sephiroth told me that he and Denzel encountered nothing other then a couple. I don't know how many I killed, but it was a lot, and they always kept coming. The night they arrived, we had walked away from the fire, so I could tell Sephiroth what happened with Marlene, without Denzel overhearing."

"Shit."

"We heard Denzel, and by the time we got back there, Hojo had already captured him."

"You actually saw Hojo?"

"Yes, and he is barely human anymore. He is some sort of mix between human, reptile, and insect. He took Denzel, and told us plainly that he was going to use Marlene and Denzel both for experiments. We need to do something, and fast. Denzel has only been with him for a day, but Marlene has been with him for five weeks already."

"I'm sending Cid there to pick you up. Be ready by morning."

"Yes sir."

Cloud hung up the phone as Rufus did, and sat there staring at it for a moment. The entire time he had been talking, his voice was emotionless, a good soldier giving a report. Now that it was over, his shoulders shook under Sephiroth's hands with silent tears. Sephiroth said nothing, just wrapped his arms around Cloud's shoulders, hugging him from behind as he laid his head on his shoulder.

"We will get them back Cloud," he said softly. He was pushed away as Cloud stood, and turned, glaring at Seph angrily.

"Yes, I know we will get them back, but what is going to happen to them while Hojo has them in his tender care? Neither one of us came out of it completely sane," his voice dropped to a whisper, and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes in an effort to control his emotions. His anger would not help anyone right now, least of all Denzel or Marlene, and Sephiroth did not deserve to have it taken out on him. He raised his eyes, and met the calm jade ones gazing out from underneath silver hair grown long enough now to brush the floor. He absorbed that steely calm, and as Sephiroth enfolded him in his arms, he let out a breath of air, closing his eyes and relaxing against that broad chest.

Sephiroth was surprised when Cloud turned his head to kiss him gently on the lips. He was even more surprised when the blond slowly removed the heavy outer coat he had on, and then the feather lined shirt, leaving his upper body bare to the cold air. He stood there as Cloud took a step back, shivering with the gentle desire that was growing in those blue eyes. He watched as Cloud slowly took off every article of his own clothing, and as Cloud reached for his pants, he captured his hands.

"Let me, please." Sephiroth nodded, and put his arms back down at his side, closing his eyes at the sensation of Cloud slowly taking off what remained of his clothing. He opened then, and watched Cloud as he took his erection into his mouth. He flung his head back, shuddering as he leaned against the wall, savoring the sensation of his mouth moving on him so slowly. He threaded his fingers through the silky blond, not to force him to go faster, to just touch him. There was something different about tonight, and even as the thought crossed his mind, he cried out softly as Cloud removed his mouth, and gently bit his hip. He looked down, and met those solemn blue eyes. Sephiroth kept his one hand in his hair, and with his other, he reached down, and caressed Clouds cheek, bringing him to his feet so their mouths could meet.

Cloud groaned softly, melting at the love he felt in that tender kiss. Tears gathered in his eyes, but he ruthlessly crushed them back. He laid his hands on Seph's shoulders, and half pulled, half pushed him, until he fell back across the bed. Cloud stood there for a moment, looking down at the man that held his heart.

"You are so amazing Seph," he said softly, leaning down slightly to run his palm down the mans chest. "What did I ever do, to deserve someone like you, hmm?" He smiled as Sephiroth grasped his hand, and then pulled it to his lips, kissing each one of his fingertips.

"You love me. That's how you got the great General," he whispered. Cloud lay down next to him on the bed, Sephiroth propped himself up on one arm, and looked into those impossibly blue eyes. "You saw the real me. There were so many people who wanted me for a night, a weekend. I realized, in that night after you became SOLDIER, that you were willing to keep me for a lifetime. Your love made me feel human, which was something that no one, not even Zach, ever made me feel."

Cloud gazed into those amazing eyes, and his breath stopped as the words came pouring out of that perfectly shaped mouth. Finally, he smiled, and it was wide and full of love for the man lying next to him. Sephiroth smiled back, and it was just as true. Sephiroth made Cloud roll over onto his stomach, and began to slowly kiss his way down his spine, his fingertips running lightly over Clouds ribs, hips, and then thighs. Cloud sighed, and gave himself over to the feelings spreading a gentle warmth through him. He raised himself up on his elbows, and looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth.

"Make love to me," he said quietly. He raised himself onto his hands and knees, offering himself completely, in a way he had never done to anyone but this man. Sephiroth smiled, and gently bit his ass, before sliding off the bed to fetch the lubricant that was somewhere in his pack. He had Cloud laughing by the time he climbed back on the bed, but his laughter died as first one, and then two slender fingers slid inside him. Sephiroth leaned over Cloud's back, whispering in his ear as he slowly worked Cloud's body larger.

"Something funny, my love?" he said softly. He chuckled at the gasp of pleasure from the body under him, and slid his fingers out. He straightened himself, and slowly and gently, pushed his way into Cloud. The cries of pleasure from under him were almost to much, and as soon as he got all of him in, he reached forward, and drew Cloud's body back up against his, so they were both on their knees. He wrapped one arm around the blonds' chest, the other around his stomach. He glided in and out of him slowly, and shivered as Clouds hands reached back, and rested on his hips.

Cloud groaned softly, laying his head back on Sephiroth's shoulder, and was reminded of the first time this happened. The position was the same, but the emotion made it so much different. While the first time was full of anger, and a dangerous passion, this was sweet, gentle, and meant so much more to him then any of the other times. He cried out as Sephiroth moved his hand down to cup him, stroking him just as gently. He sighed, and his soft cries made Sephiroth move harder inside him, but it was still slow, still gentle. Cloud turned his head, his lips finding the strong pulse in the other mans throat. He slowly licked, and bit that throbbing point, and was rewarded with a deep groan. He moved his hands from their resting place on Seph's hips, and buried them in the silver hair that was flowing over his body. He held Sephiroth to him, and the man began mirroring him, kissing his neck in the same fashion. Cloud tensed as he felt his orgasm coming, and softly whispered the other mans name.

"Sephiroth…"

Sephiroth groaned and closed his eyes tightly, feeling Cloud tense against him, crying out as the blond took them both soaring in pleasure. He held the other tightly against him for a moment, and then laughed softly, before whispering in his ear.

"I do love you Cloud, never forget that." Cloud smiled, and slowly lowered them to the bed, disentangling them from each other. He rolled onto his side, gazing into Sephiroth's eyes.

"I love you too, and trust me, I won't ever forget. Not this time. Now, go to sleep. Were going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then grinned. "Cid is going to have to wait though. I have someone I have to visit before we leave in the morning."

"Who?"

Cloud smiled secretly, and turned back over, Sephiroth's arm automatically wrapping around his waist. Cloud pulled the blankets over both of them, and closed his eyes, sighing contentedly.

"Cloud, who do you have to see?" Cloud chuckled quietly, and looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth.

"It's a surprise. Now go to sleep."


	12. Escape

**This chapter is called Escape for a reason. :)**

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Sephiroth stared at the note in his hand. It was from Cloud, telling him he would be back as soon as he finished talking to whoever he was talking to. He took a deep breath, and looked over to where Cid was sitting, smoke trailing from the ever-present cigarette in his mouth.

"Can I have one of those?" Seph asked. Cid nodded, and handed him one. Sephiroth put it to his lips, and with a gentle nudge of his mind, the Fire materia in the bracelet around his wrist flared to a gentle light, and he lit the cigarette with the tip of his finger. Drawing deeply, he let the materia go back to its dormant state. He let out the smoke, and looked back to Cid.

"I woke up at 9 or so, and Cloud was already gone. It's already noon, and he's not back yet." Cid just nodded at his words, and went back to staring out the window. Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, and looked away, wondering what kept the usually smartassed man so quiet. He shrugged, flicked the ashes off, letting his mind wander as he finished it, and stubbed it out into the scarred ashtray on the dresser. He got up quickly, and Cid just looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll be outside training, if you need me." Cid nodded, and Sephiroth walked out the door. He kept walking until he made it outside the town, the cold wind whipping his heavy black coat around him. He closed his eyes, and turned his face up to the sun, breathing in the cold winter air. Once they got back to Midgar, he would be able to take off all this heavy clothing, because on the other continent it was summer. He shook himself, and bringing his sword out, he began slowly sparring against an invisible partner.

Cloud watched Sephiroth, a small smile on his face. The last time he was here, he had given Holy and Meteor to a man in the village. The man was a tattoo artist, and he had made Cloud promise that if he ever came back to Icicle, he would allow the man to give him a tattoo. Cloud grimaced as his sheath rubbed against his back. Little did he know that the tattoo the man had been drawing was going to be huge. He grinned as Sephiroth cursed, his sword having smacked the snow and blew it into his face. He quietly walked up, and wrapped his arms around the others mans waist, grinning as Sephiroth tensed, and then relaxed, realizing who it was.

"Where did you go today?" Seph asked. Clouds grin got even bigger, and he strode around until he was facing the man. With a laughed, he quickly stripped off his shirt, and turned his back to Sephiroth. He shivered with pain and desire as Sephiroth's cold fingers lightly traced the outline.

"Wow, this is amazing work." Sephiroth meant it too. He had seen a lot of other people with tattoos, but none of them were quite as intricate as this one. It was a wolfs head, the actual head an exact copy of the one that graced Cloud's ear. It was in the middle of his back, the top of the ears even with the bottom of his shoulder blades. Where the fur around the head should have been, it melted into fire, that traced itself around his ribs, the edges dipping under the waistband of his pants, and curving over the top of his shoulders. The eyes were the same burning blue as Clouds, and the same blue accented the flames, but that was the only color. It was elegant, and beautifully done. Sephiroth dropped his hand, and as Cloud turned around to face him, he grinned.

"I know this is a completely asinine question, but didn't that hurt?" Cloud laughed, and slowly put his clothing back on.

"Yes, it hurt, but it was worth it. I entrusted the man who did it, with these," and in the hand he held out, sat Meteor and Holy.

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Zach watched Cloud fidget in his seat, and narrowed his eyes at the blond. It was a little over a week since Cloud and Sephiroth got back, and informed them of what happened. Initially Tifa, and Barrett wanted to rush off and go save them. Amazingly, Vincent and Rufus agreed. It took a couple days for Sephiroth and Cloud to convince them otherwise, even though it was exactly what they wanted to do. Zach had been watching Cloud hard since he had gotten back. At odd times the blond would wince, and smile. Now, it was none of his business if it was something freaky that he and Seph were into, but he didn't like seeing his friends in pain. He sighed, and continued watching Cloud, even though he was watching everyone else out of the corner of his eyes. Rufus, Tifa, Reeve, and Cid were talking about strategy, and Vincent and Nanaki were talking with Yuffie, trying to convince her she should ally the tribes with them. Zach growled as Sephiroth laid a hand on Cloud's back, and the blond flinched slightly. Ok, he was going to find out what the hell was wrong. He stood up, and walked over to the two. He grabbed Clouds arm, and dragged him out of the room, with Sephiroth watching them curiously for a moment, before following. They got into the hallway, and looking both ways for anyone, Zach faced Cloud squarely, glaring at him.

"Ok, what happened to your back? Why do you keep flinching?" Cloud raised an eyebrow, and smiled slightly, looking over at Sephiroth.

"Think I should show him?" Seph shrugged.

"That's up to you, love." Zach looked at them both, now feeling more confused then ever. He became even more confused as Cloud began to remove his clothing, and then turned around so his back was facing Zach. His jaw dropped open, as he took in the intricate tattoo that now covered the blonds back. He reached out, and lightly touching the flame on shoulder, he felt the slight roughness. He stood back, and took in some of the details slowly. The wolf's eyes were the same color blue as Cloud's eyes, and the same color blue was used as an accent to the fire of its fur, but everything was shaded beautifully in black.

"When did you get that? And why hasn't it healed completely yet?" Cloud shrugged, winced, and then slid his shirt back on, thankful that he was back in a place where there was no snow.

"I got it done in Icicle. I promised a man there that I would let him give me one, when I was up there last. He had to go over it three times, because it healed to quickly, and he couldn't get the colors right. Its why the black is so dark, and the blue so bright. Its not healed yet, because, well, he did the same tattoo three times."

"Um, you up there last, that would have been after the final battle, right?" He completely ignored the fact that to get that tattoo done three times, one right after another, would have been a lot of pain. Zach was never that good of friends with pain. Cloud nodded, and once everything was belted back in place, he pulled Holy and Meteor out from his pocket. Zach paled and took a step away.

"Is that what I think it is?" Cloud nodded once again, and put them back.

"Neither one has any power anymore, but the man who did the tattoo was holding onto them for me. He's a complete null, couldn't even hope to use them, so I left them with him just in case. I didn't want Hojo getting a hold of them, and somehow reawaking their power." It was Zach's turn to nod, and he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall. He grinned at the sound of Tifa's raised voice, and looked over to meet the blue eyes looking at him.

"So, what are we going to do?" He shook his head at the look in Cloud's eyes, and glanced to Sephiroth. "Please tell him not to go running off by himself." He grabbed Cloud in a headlock, and laughed as the blond sputtered at him. "He will do something stupid if you don't watch him." Sephiroth grinned, and tried to help Cloud out of Zach's hold. As soon as he laid hands on Zach, the other man twisted, and soon, they were both in a headlock. Zach was laughing his ass off for all of a second, and then the two clasped hands, and lifted him off his feet. They walked his struggling body over to a window, and holding his feet out, they made as if to drop him. He yelled, and just clung tighter to their bodies.

"Hey! This is so not fair you two!" Cloud grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"When have you ever been fair to me? If I remember right, you were always the one that was picking on me." Sephiroth nodded, and smiled slowly at Zach.

"That's how I remember it." Clouds laughter quickly turned into a scream as the doors burst open in their minds, dragging them all through a burning curtain of green. The three of them toppled out of the window, not even knowing they hit the ground as a vision smashed into their minds.

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_She screamed at her tormentor to let her out, beating her fists bloody against the clear cage that held her. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the mako that surrounded her. Hojo just looked at her with those multiple eyes, and walking over to the cylinder, he began taking notes._

"_Subject 32 seems to have a very good reaction to the injection of Jenova, and has even grown six inches. She seems to be developing quickly into adulthood, and within the two weeks she has been getting the injections, her strength, agility, speed, and healing have dramatically improved. When she was first introduced to the mako, she became a monster, like all the other subjects. Two days into the first injections of Jenova, she became human again. I will continue to test her to see what else Jenova has done to her."_

_Marlene had watched Hojo as he had taken Denzel's blood, and isolated the Jenova cells inside of it. Too soon for her tastes, he had enough of Jenova's cells cloned to be able to begin injecting her with them. She shivered as she remembered the feel of the first injection, only two days after Denzel had been brought here. The burning that seared through her veins, the sudden strength, and clarity of her vision that went along with it. She had struggled, but at the time, she was small, weak, and deformed. Now two weeks had gone by, and she was no longer weak, small, or deformed._

_She breathed in the mako around her, still slightly amazed at the fact that it felt like air in her lungs, and yet against her skin it was a thick liquid. Her mind went over the things she had learned in the last six weeks. It was hard for her to keep track of the time, but she knew the days because of Hojo. Every time the man would take his notes, he would talk to himself. That was how she had found out about whatever it was that Aeris did last year to make the stigma go away. Hojo didn't even fully understand that, but he knew that whenever he did something with the mako now, Jenova was there, even though he couldn't get her cells through the lifestream. When she had first gotten put in the container of mako, over the course of a week, her body had started to reform itself, making her into a monster. For the four weeks she was here before Denzel, she had been tortured for information, and just because Hojo was bored. She rubbed the scar that was on her right thigh, where Hojo had taken a strip of flesh from her, and she finally understood where Cloud got most of his scars. She now bore whip lashes from her neck to her ankles, and thin ones from the knives decorated most of her upper body. _

_She pushed those thoughts away from her mind, and just watched as Hojo adjusted instruments, glancing occasionally at her and Denzel, who was now awake, staring numbingly at the scientist. She tried to catch his eye, and failed. He was becoming less and less responsive to the things Hojo did to him, and it was beginning to worry her. She settled back into her tank, crossing her arms under her chest, as she once again began to go through what she had learned._

_Once Hojo had gotten the Jenova cells from Denzel, and injected them into her, within two days of her first injection she had straightened back out to her human form, and then began to grow. Hojo couldn't figure out why both her and Denzel were growing so alarmingly fast. Not just the bones, but the entire body. It was as though they were maturing, just in the space of weeks instead of years. She smoothed her face out as Hojo walked back over to her, and for a moment she thought he was going to take her out, and she screamed at him, taking satisfaction at the anger that gleamed in his alien eyes._

_She screamed again, and it subsided into sobs as she watched him walk over to the other cell where Denzel was held. He too had grown, and his body was now that of a fourteen year olds, while she had hit puberty with a vengeance. She got little satisfaction that her breasts were already bigger then Tifa's, and she was already taller. She beat her fists against the wall again as Hojo drained the mako from around Denzel, catching him easily as he fell out. She finally gave herself over to her tears, as Hojo once again drained Denzel's body almost dry of blood, his young body thrashing against the metal table. Hojo did it every day, and every day he pumped more of Jenova's mixture into Denzel, making every pore in the boys' body bleed a strange, unearthly white. She saw Hojo muttering to himself as he took more notes, eyes flicking to the boy, to the instruments, and back again. _

_Marlene sank to her knees, watching in numb horror as Hojo cut Denzel over and over again, each time the boy healing almost instantly. With each cut, Denzel's struggles grew, until Hojo was forced to give the boy a sedative. 'This can't be happening,' she thought, not for the first time. She closed her eyes, and wondered where everyone was. She knew the answer though. With how many monsters Hojo had created, and how easy it was for him, there was no way to get to the Crater to save them, not without a complete army. She gathered herself, wrapping a steely calm around her, and she got to her feet, gold eyes cold and dead as they burned a hole into Hojo. She was not a child anymore, and it was time she stopped acting like one. She smirked, and then laughed. Hojo looked over at her, and she felt a thrill of satisfaction go through her at the fear that rolled off him._

"_You can do better then this, can't you scientist?" He left Denzel unconscious on the table, and walked over to her._

"_What do you mean?" She shook her head, and laughed again, not caring that it had an insane sound to it._

"_Why not experiment on me more? You have already said that I can take more then Denzel can, and I never had Jenova cells inside me until you came along. Why not try a bit more? Surely, there is something else you can do, to make me even better. Or are you not that good of a scientist?" She threw the words in his teeth, and was rewarded when his alien eyes gleamed with sudden anger. He drained the liquid from around her, and as the door opened, her lungs coughing out the burning liquid, she only had eyes for Denzel. He was so still, so quiet lying there. She would think him dead if not for the rising and falling of his chest. She stepped out of her cell on her own power, and stood in front of Hojo, her chin lifted in pride. She didn't even flinch as one of his hands wrapped around her throat, the other back handing her hard enough she tasted blood. Even so, she turned her head back, and laughed in his face._

"_If you want it to actually hurt, you'll have to do better then that." Hojo growled, and hit her three times in a row until her head spun, and blood was leaking from the corner of her mouth. He picked her up by the throat, and dragged her over to another table, strapping her down with cruel efficiency. _

"_Oh I can do better, Subject 32, don't fear." She laughed at him again, and was still laughing as the burn of the injection made its way through her veins. Instead of fighting it, she welcomed the pain, using it to fuel her rage. _

"_Is that the best you can do?" she said, still laughing. _

_It was a blur over the next couple of hours, nothing but the constant pain in her veins, and a strange tingling over her shoulder blades, that made them itch unbearably. It was almost enough to distract her from the pain, the constant itching. She writhed on the table, making Hojo laugh cruelly, trying to scratch the itch. Nothing helped. She finally fell into a sort of stupor, not even reacting as Hojo injected her once again, monitoring her reactions. Unfortunately for him, the only reaction were of her physical body. The racing heartbeat, increased brainwave activity. On the outside, she didn't cry, didn't scream, didn't even laugh. She just watched him, her golden eyes glowing with red sparks in defiance. Sometime during it all Denzel woke, and they just stared at each other as Hojo went between the two of them, giving them injection after injection. Denzel began to scream soon after his third, but Marlene just lay there, hate and anger burning so bright in her eyes, that it was an effort for even Hojo to meet them. She was biding her time until Hojo released her. Then, with the new strength that was pouring through her veins, she would kill him. _

_After the next injection, she went stiff against the table, and then started screaming, throwing her body against the bonds that held her. Hojo watched with glittering eyes as her body grew even more, joints and muscle popping with the effort to keep up with the lengthening of her bones. Not soon afterwards, Denzel was screaming as well as the same thing happened to him. Hojo clapped his hands together like a kid with a new toy, his eyes bright with happiness. He took down notes as they settled down, and measured Denzel. He laughed delightedly as he realized the boy had grown more then a foot and a half in the short time he had been here. Where before he was only 5'1, the boy was now 6'3, the same height as Sephiroth, with a mans body to go along with the height. He measured Marlene as well, and actually purred with his discovery. Now she was 5'11, two inches taller then Cloud, where before she was only 4'7. Her body was an adults now as well, and he clapped his hands together again. Neither of the two heard him, as they were to busy trying to relax after the last bout of growth. 'No wonder I never wanted to grow up,' Marlene thought dazedly._

_Marlene watched as Hojo unstrapped Denzel, and carefully dragged the boy over to his container, setting him inside, and then filling it back up. She swallowed as she noticed the blank look in his blue eyes, and remembered something Tifa had told her once, about how Cloud looked when he had mako poisoning. Denzel looked the same way. She bit back a growl as the itching in her shoulders started again, and quickly built to an unbearable level. She screamed as she felt a tearing in her back, and the straps around her were broken at the force in which she was thrown from the table. She stayed on her hands and knees on the floor, breathing deeply and trying not to scream again as something ripped its way from her back. She looked up in time to see Hojo rushing at her, and suddenly she was airborne. She blinked, and looked around her, gaping in amazement at the two large deep red wings that were fanning the air slowly. She swallowed past her fear, and looked down at Hojo, a small smile curling her lips. She flew down directly at him, and laughed as he ducked. She landed on her feet, and curling her new wings around her, she sighed in relief as they disappeared. She felt them though, that constant itching between her shoulders. _

"_I knew you could do better, Hojo. You made me into your perfect specimen," she said with deadly venom in her voice. She laughed as Hojo rushed her, and she was suddenly in the air again, looking down at him. She flew at him again, and she was only a speeding blur as she punched Hojo in the face as hard as she could. He flew across the room, and struck the cave wall, falling to the ground unconscious. She landed, and looked between him and Denzel, but before she could decide what to do, Denzel began to convulse inside his prison._

"_Denzel!" She rushed over, and without worrying about the buttons, she smashed through the cell, cradling him to her as he fell out in a rush of the thick liquid. He continued to shake even as she tried to sooth him. "Don't worry, I will get you out of here." With her newfound strength, she lifted him in her arms, and made her way through the underground caves. She wandered for what seemed like hours, until she came to a natural cave, and she looked up, almost weeping with happiness as she saw an opening at the top. Unfurling her wings, she gave them a mighty beat, and soon they were airborne. She wasn't even at the top, and she felt the strain in muscles that weren't used to being there. She struggled until she finally made it over the top, and kept going, even though her lungs were screaming from the altitude. She kept going until she couldn't anymore, and as she dropped from the sky, plummeting towards the cold earth, she curled her body around Denzel's, praying that even if she was killed, Denzel would survive. She screamed as she hit the earth, Denzel toppling out of her arms. The last thing she saw before her world went black was Denzel staring at her with glowing blue eyes, not seeing a damn thing._

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Cloud woke, and held his head, groaning. He sat upright with a gasp, looking around him. They were in the medical ward, Sephiroth and Zach laid out next to him on separate beds. Even as he watched, they both opened their eyes, and sat upright in bed. Cloud looked out the window, and twitched as he saw the nighttime sky. They had to of been out for a couple hours, at least.

"What the hell was that?" Zach asked, holding his head in his hands. There was a loud cry, and they turned as one to the door, to see Tifa come flying into the room to jump on Zach, hugging him so hard that the man had to peel her arms off to breath. She was followed by everyone else, and Vincent came immediately to Cloud.

"It was another memory, wasn't it?" Cloud shook his head, and without speaking, got off the table, Sephiroth following his lead.

"It wasn't a memory. It was a vision," he explained as he walked out the door, Sephiroth following. Zach quickly caught up with them, Vincent too, and the red eyed man stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Everyone else filed into the hallway, each speaking, saying they had dropped from a second story window, they needed time to heal, etc. Cloud stopped their talking with a wave of his hand.

"Marlene escaped from Hojo, taking Denzel with her. She was able to get away, but Denzel has mako poisoning, and something happened to Marlene. They are both outside the crater, but neither has weapons, or winter gear. We need to go get them before something else happens." With that, Cloud, Sephiroth, Vincent, and Zach began walking down the hallway. Cloud stopped, and said without turning around. "Cid, we need your ship. So if you'll kindly follow us?" Cid blinked, and the smart ass comment died in his mouth as Cloud turned slightly, and he got a good look at the blonds' eyes. No ones eyes should ever be filled with that much coldness. Cid followed them, and soon they five of them were in the airship, making for the Northern Crater once again.


	13. Found

**Some of you might not agree, but I like who I paired up in this chapter. Review please!**

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Sephiroth shivered once against from the cold. They had been searching for almost a week for the two, and none of them had found any sign but the depression in the earth where they fell. They had examined that spot thoroughly, but had found no trace of blood, and new snow had fallen, so even if they made their way out, their tracks were covered. Sephiroth was ready to call out to Cloud, who was about fifty feet away, when he stumbled over something, and fell to his knees. He cursed, and standing, turned to look at what had tripped him. His breath caught as he saw a pale, dainty hand.

"Cloud!" he yelled, and the man looked up. He waved him over, and then began to frantically dig in the snow. Soon Cloud joined him, and not long after that, they uncovered Denzel and Marlene, both of which were the color of the snow, and didn't seem to be breathing.

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Marlene opened her eyes slowly, looking around her. She was so warm, and she began to snuggle under the blankets even more before bolting upright in the bed. She groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead, the world swimming for a moment.

"How do you feel?" The soft question brought her flying out of the bed, and into a fighting stance. She relaxed as she saw Vincent sitting across the room, and then raised an eyebrow as she realized she was completely naked. She crossed her arms under her chest, because now her breasts were too big to cross them over. She felt heat suffuse her face as Vincent just watched her calmly.

"Do you know where my clothes are?" Vincent just raised an eyebrow, and grinned, even though she couldn't see it hidden behind his red cape. 'She has an amazing body now,' he thought.

"There's clothes at the end of the bed. You have been out for a couple days." She frowned, and then slowly began to pull on her clothing, thinking hard. She turned back to him, and opened her mouth to explain, but he held up his hand.

"We know how you got away from Hojo. You were in the snow for a week before we found you. If you hadn't had Jenova cells inside you, both you and Denzel would be dead." He noted the relief in her eyes, and continued. "It is three days after we found you. Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach took Denzel back to Midgar, because he was the more seriously hurt of you two. Were still in Icicle Village, if you were wondering, and the month is August, the first week."

Marlene sat on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes as relief seeped through her, finally thawing the last of the coldness inside her. She raised her hands, running the slender fingers through hair that reached her waist in gentle, dark brown curls. 'Ugh, I always hated my hair long,' she thought. She winced, and looked down at her arms. They were both covered in needle marks. She smiled slightly, and raised her eyes to meet Vincent's.

"I look like a drug addict." Vincent just smiled, and then was immediately by her side as she started screaming again, throwing herself back onto the bed. He put his hands on her shoulders, and her hands reached up, grasping his so tightly he through they would break.

"Marlene?" he asked softly as her shaking subsided. She was breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat making her hair stick to her forehead. Vincent brushed at away, and his breath caught as her eyes opened. There was a ring of glowing, bright red around her pupil that bled into the gold around it. It was strangely beautiful, and fit her. He stood up suddenly, a little afraid of the desire that flashed through him.

Marlene watched him walk away from her, and the heat that was boiling through her veins suddenly had a new direction. She knew what happened between a man and a woman, and a thrill of excitement and fear went through her. Staring at Vincent's back, she knew that he could quench this sudden heat inside her, and she wanted him to do it. She just didn't know how. Licking her lips, she slowly got off the bed, and remembered the heat that filled his eyes when he saw her naked. She blushed at the thought, but slowly took off her shirt, tossing it onto the floor.

Vincent turned around at the sound of her shirt hitting the floor, and his eyes widened at her undressed state. He couldn't seem to breathe as she slowly slid her pants to the floor, and stood in front of him, her loose hair flowing around her naked body. He watched her blush, and found it strangely appealing. He shook himself, having to remind himself that even though she now had an adult body, her mind was still a child's.

"Marlene, you have a beautiful body, but you are still only nine years old." She looked at him, and smiled slowly, gaining an odd strength from the way he looked at her. She walked over to him, and the look in his eyes added to the new power she felt. 'So this is desire,' she thought.

"I am no longer a child, nor do I want to be treated as one. I grew up very quickly in the time I spent with Hojo. I am a SOLDIER, and I know what I want. I want you." With the last words, she closed the distance between the two of them, and pressed her mouth to his.

Vincent groaned softly at the feel of her mouth, any misgivings he had about her actual age flying from his head at the raging fire that now burned through him. He felt her reach up as their mouths fed hungrily on each other's, and undo his cape, letting it fall to the floor. She pulled back from the kiss, her eyes dilated with passion. He lifted his arms up as she pulled his shirt over his head, and had to close his eyes as she gently kissed where his metal arm met flesh. He shivered as her tongue darted out, smoothing over the scars.

From the way he was reacting, Marlene knew he was enjoying what she was doing. She moved her mouth over across his chest, gently nipping him with her teeth as she went along. A strange thrill went through her as he growled when she took his nipple into her mouth, and she wrapped her arms around his back, dragging her nails lightly down his skin. She laughed breathlessly as he scooped her up in his arms, and walking over to the bed, dropped her into it. Her laughter died at the look in his eyes, and she swallowed, eyes widening as he unsnapped his pants, and dropped them to the floor, kicking off his shoes as he did. He stood in front of her, completely naked, and she took in the scars, the parts of him that were no longer human, and her lower body tightened so hard she cried out softly.

"Marlene, the look in your eyes…" he whispered softly, before lying himself next to her, kissing her possessively. She moaned at the heat between then, and when his human fingers trailed down her stomach, playing with the soft curls at the center of her, she couldn't help but move her hips, wanting him to touch her. When he finally did, she arched her back, ripping away from their kiss to cry out.

"Please, don't stop Vincent." He took her at her word, and played with her, his body hardening with each breathy moan. She felt something building inside her, and as her first orgasm washed over her, she screamed, bucking against the bed. He stopped touching her, giving her just enough time to catch her breath, before he moved, positioning himself between her legs. At the first touch of his head against the most sensitive parts of her, she shivered, and gazed up at him, her eyes still unfocused.

"Do you still want to go through with this? There is pain the first time, for women." She nodded, not even able to speak. He glided into her in one hard thrust, and then stilled himself as she cried out, her body tightening around his. He had to close his eyes, because she was so impossibly tight, and he didn't open them until he felt her fingertips on his face. He looked down at her, and at the look in her eyes, he began to move slowly, which threw her head back, making her cry out and grasp his arms.

Marlene had never felt anything so good. As Vincent moved in and out of her, being so careful, she felt him hit a spot inside her that sent a shiver racing through her body, making her body tighten even more around him. She looked up at him, and at the raw need in his eyes, raised a hand to cup his face. The slow, gentle movements was not what she wanted, and she knew he didn't either.

"Vincent, don't be gentle." He gazed down at her, and something filled his eyes.

"I don't want to hurt you." She grinned, and with a powerful movement of her body, she had him underneath her. She rode his body, her hands on his chest, as hard and fast as she could get her body to move. She watched him as his eyes rolled back into his head, his fingers digging into her hips. He began to thrust into her on his own, and she threw her head back, screaming as another orgasm overtook her. He started thrusting into her even harder and faster, and as he did, she felt another orgasm threatening. She looked into his eyes, and the last thrust brought her again, drawing blood on his chest as she screamed. He came inside her in a blinding rush, closing his eyes as his release left him feeling shaky. She collapsed onto his chest, breathing just as heavily as he was. She laughed softly, and raised herself up, looking down into his eyes. Smiling, she brushed his silky black hair away from his face.

"Is it always that good?" Vincent chuckled softly, and slid himself out of her, which only made her shiver, and moved so they lay side by side, staring at each other. He ran his metal hand through her hair, watching the glittering strands a moment before replying.

"Honestly? Not always." She only nodded, and snuggled up to him, shivering at the cold that was creeping in on them. She reached down, and pulled up the blankets to cover them. Closing her eyes, she felt Vincent kiss her forehead before falling asleep. She smiled, and gave herself over to the comforting blackness.

----------

"Where are they?" Cloud shrugged at the angry words from Tifa, and continued watching Denzel below him, sparring with Zach. The only way to make the mako work its way through his body faster, was for him to sweat it out. So, they had all devised a plan, so that once Denzel woke, he was put to work. Tifa argued against it, but Denzel had just looked at her, with a very adult look in his eyes, that matched the new body. Everyone was still having a hard time seeing Denzel as a man, even though in the past couple days, he had gone a long way in proving it. It was nearing the end of August, and they had dragged Marlene and Denzel out of the snow only two weeks ago. Cloud frowned as he thought of that. It had been two weeks since he last saw Vincent, Marlene still unconscious piled under blankets. He turned from the window, and walked away from Tifa, even though she was still yelling at him. He walked into an empty room, and shut the door in Tifa's face, locking it. Ignoring her yelling, he pulled out his phone, and dialed Vincent's number.

"Hello?" A giggling female voice answered, and he could hear Vincent in the background.

"Marlene, is that you?" Cloud blinked, and then his jaw dropped open at her next words.

"Oh, hey Cloud. Vincent is busy, so he'll have to call you back later."

"What do you mean, he's busy?" She giggled again, and Cloud smacked himself on the forehead with the heel of his hand. "Marlene, let me talk to Vincent." He felt the pout over the phone, and had to smile slightly. Finally, after much laughing, Vincent finally came onto the phone.

"Hey Cloud."

"Vincent, we need the two of you back here, now."

"What happened?"

"Were going to be separating the army into groups, under the supervision of a commanding officer. You, and Marlene, are two of those officers. You two need to stop fucking around and get back here." He groaned silently as Vincent cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. 'This is not what I need now,' he thought.

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Send Cid with the plane."

"Will do." Cloud hung up, and went to tell Cid to make another trip back to Icicle. As he opened the door, he grimaced as he met a very pissed off Tifa.

"They are on their way, don't worry." He brushed past her, ignoring her angry shout once again. As he made his way to tell Cid, he was stopped as he glanced down at the training yard. Seph, Zach, and Denzel were all there, and Denzel was wielding Seph's Masamune. Cloud stopped and stared as he handled it easily, and with the same fluid grace that Sephiroth had. 'Well, now I know who has been giving him lessons,' he thought with a smile, as Denzel easily blocked the flurry of strikes Zach aimed at him. He shook his head, and went to find Cid.


	14. Sacrifice

**Enjoy! It's a cliffhanger, but I cannot figure out how the next chapter is going to go. Sorry! Any ideas?**

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Rufus looked out the window that was in the conference room, blinking into the afternoon light, still amazed that all of this was coming together so quickly. Their were people back in Midgar, taking the scraps of what was left of the ruined buildings and making new homes for themselves. He raised his eyes until he was looking out at the barren plains around the city, and had to fight to keep the grin from his face. Standing gracefully out amongst the dirt, tall white fans were moving fast enough to become a blur. The windmills were a new thing, designed by Reeve. They took the energy that the wind made, and changed it into electricity. With the oil that Barrett had discovered, there was now no need at all to even think about using mako to energize everything. He glanced over his shoulder at the light touch on his arm, and did smile when he saw it was Yuffie. The amber-eyed girl had calmed in the past couple months, even though she still had a sharp tongue, and sticky fingers.

"Yes, Yuffie?" She smiled at the gentle warmth in the blonds' voice, and looked up to meet his eyes, pointing a thumb behind her where almost everyone was gathered.

"The only people were missing are Vincent, Marlene, Cloud, and Sephiroth." Rufus groaned silently, and had to close his eyes as his smile became rueful. Vincent and Marlene just got back this morning, and Cloud and Sephiroth were always late. It was just like the four of them. He opened his eyes as loud laughter caught his attention, and as he turned, he saw a shocking sight. Marlene was walking through the door, but she had two huge wings folded tightly on her back. They were the deep red of a good wine, and each edge of the feathers sparkled with gold light so pale, it was almost white. What truly amazed him were the black demon wings that were against Vincent's back. He knew about the demon that lived inside that body, and as he took in the small horns and fangs that were a new addition to the human body, he realized something. 'I think him and his demon finally came to an understanding.'

Vincent felt as though he was finally free. He knew the merging of his and Chaos's personalities had unlocked something deep inside of him, and as he looked around at all these people he considered his friends, he realized what it was. His emotions. He finally felt free to care about them, because he now knew that no matter what he did, or tried, shit was going to happen no matter what. He could only do his best. He glanced at the woman next to him, who was joking around with Yuffie, and smiled. His best was very good indeed, as long as Marlene stayed next to him. He looked behind him as the door opened, and his smile just got wider as Cloud and Sephiroth walked in, hand in hand. He met Cloud's eyes, and his smile slipped from his face. He looked at Sephiroth, and the smile became a frown. He walked over to the two men, and grasping their clasped hands, he drew them out of the room and into the hallway. Shutting the door behind him, he looked at the two.

"What happened now?" Sephiroth shook his head, and looked to Cloud. The blond took his hand away, and wrapped his arms around himself, sighing deeply as he closed his eyes.

"Denzel left," he whispered. Vincent blinked, and opened his mouth to say something, but Marlene walked out of the room behind him, and shut the door.

"What do you mean, Denzel left?" she asked quietly. She listened as Cloud retold the tale of how he had gone to Denzel's room, and found it empty. There was a note on his dresser, explaining how he had to go find something, and not to worry. It had nothing to do with Hojo. Marlene took in a deep breath, and began cursing with enough venom, that the three men looked at her in surprise.

"Of all the stupid, idiotic things to do," she finished finally. She leaned against the closed door, the laugher behind her not even able to make her smile. She closed her eyes, and held a hand to her face as she thought furiously. Suddenly, she had it, and her eyes flew open to meet the red ones that were gazing at her intently.

"While we were with Hojo, he always talked about a weapon he was going to give Sephiroth, and then Cloud. I don't believe it was a weapon like the ones the Cetra created, but an actual blade. Hojo kept ranting on about how he had used Jenova to help make it, and its very make up was filled with mako, and her cells." Her voice had dropped to a whisper as the full horror of what Denzel was trying to do caught up to her. She saw the same emotion reflected in the three pairs of eyes that were looking at her. "He's going to go try and get it, I know he is."

Cloud growled softly, as his mind quickly went from scenario to scenario. They could try to get the kid, but it wouldn't do them much good with all the monsters out there. The meeting behind the closed door was about which one of them would get which set of troops. Something flashed through the doors like a bolt of lightning, and he was on the ground, holding his head in his hands as he screamed. Sephiroth was next to him, and in the other room, he could hear Zach doing the same. Pain, there was so much pain and death. He struggled to orient himself with this time, but all he could hear were the screams of the dying people, their bodies being ripped apart by horrible beasts. As suddenly as it came, it was gone, and he heard Aeris whisper through his mind.

'_I am blocking you from it, but Hojo has finally got the monsters across the sea. He attacked Kalm, and is coming to Midgar. He has an army with him, Cloud. You need to do something, and do it quick.´_ Then she was gone. Cloud got to his feet slowly, and looked at Seph. With a deep breath that eased an icy cold around his battered heart, he went into the meeting room.

Everyone was gathered around Zach, and he knew the man caught his presence, because his violet eyes rose from the table, and met his. An understanding passed between them, and then Rufus was at his side. Cloud looked at the older man, and took a deep breath.

"We were just informed that Hojo has somehow managed to bring his creations across the sea, and is attacking Kalm, right this moment. We need to build defenses around Midgar, because they are going to be here by tomorrow morning." Rufus just stared at him, horror in his baby blues, before rushing over and grabbing his radio, sending messages to everyone he could to gather as much material as they could, and begin building a wall around Midgar. Everyone sprang into action, rushing out the door to go help. It left Vincent, Marlene, Cloud, Sephiroth, Zach, and Rufus in the room. They all looked at each other, and it was Sephiroth who broke the silence.

"We will go to the halfway point between the two cities. Maybe we can hold them off long enough for the defenses to be built, and maybe fortified." They all nodded, and Rufus shook his head, sighing.

"I need at least one of you here to help with the troops. Yuffie has promised that by next week, she will bring some of her warriors here to help us in training, and bolster our numbers. Obviously, we don't have that long." He took another deep breath, and shook his head again. "You know what, I will give the command of the troops over to Tifa and Barrett. They have the respect of the troops, and should do well. You need to go now, if you're going to make it." They all saluted smartly, and when they all finally left, Rufus allowed himself to sink down into a chair, holding his head in his hands as he shook. He really didn't like the idea of sending these people out to be killed. Having had a near death experience when the reactor blew in his face, he did not want any of these people to have the same. Now, he had Yuffie. She had gotten past the hard exterior he projected, and she would be fighting on the front line, in command of her troops. All of this shit was not good for his mental state. He breathed deeply, thinking about the loved ones he would have to tell, about their sons or daughters getting killed, because they has decided to put their faith and trust in the one company they should hate. He felt the door open, and looked up, expecting to see one of the SOLDIER's, but instead it was Yuffie. She walked over to him as he tried to compose himself, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Rufus, it's all right," she whispered softly into his ear. He felt the tears rise in his eyes, and decided, fuck it. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulling her into his lap, he finally let the tears come.

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Cloud, Zach, and Sephiroth gunned the engines of their bikes, flying over the packed, dry earth. Cloud couldn't see them, but he could sense Marlene and Vincent overhead, easily keeping up with them. They had been riding for hours, and as he grabbed his phone to tell the others to stop, something leaped out of the darkness, and took him and the bike down. He growled fiercely as he felt sharp teeth dig into his shoulder, and ignoring the shooting pains that went down his arm, he reached up with his bare hands, and tore out the monsters throat. He threw the body away from him, and stood, staggering slightly at the pain in his shoulder. He felt something behind him, and rolled out of the way as a huge claw ripped into the air where he was. He cursed, and sprinted over to his fallen bike, getting his main sword out just in time to impale the beast through its throat as it struggled over him. With a another curse he threw it away, and quickly turned to gather the rest of his swords, locking them together. He heard one of the other bikes, and looked around to see both Zach and Sephiroth skid to a stop near him.

"Well," he said sardonically. "I think this is where were going to make our stand." The other two nodded, and they all looked up as Vincent and Marlene landed close to them. Cloud shivered, and they all turned their attention to the west, where a unearthly howl came from, soon followed by another. The five fighters stood, weapons drawn as the dawn came over the horizon, bringing with it a tidal wave of black.

Cloud look at his companions, and had to grin. "You all have the Fire materia, right?" They all nodded, and Cloud stretched out his left hand, where he had a band around his upper arm with different materia held in them. He felt the others do the same, with whichever instrument they were using to hold their materia. With a small nudge of his mind, he watched dispassionately as his arm, and then the rest of his body began to glow a sparking white. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the rest of them begin to glow as well, and could not keep the wide grin that stretched across his face. 'We must all look like demons from hell,' he thought with savage glee.

"When they get close enough, release the spells. I want to take out as many as we can with this first blast." He felt, rather then saw them all nod, and he let the fire build inside him, watching the wave of beasts steadily grow closer, their howling chilling his blood. They were only about twenty feet away, when he gave the signal, and pure white fire shot from their combined spell, roaring towards the monsters in a burning wave of death. As soon as his materia winked out, he fell back into a fighting stance, watching as the first ones to get hit were burnt to cinders in an eye blink.

Cloud watched the wave spreading towards them, and made a decision. He smashed through the doors between their minds, and in the blink of an eye, the three men were engulfed in flame. Cloud stood in the middle, with Seph on his left, and Zach on the right. Vincent and Marlene both took a couple steps away from the three men. Cloud felt the two men, and everything felt right, as through this was what they had been born for. The horde came closer, and the three shifted in perfect unison, before launching their bodies at the awaiting jaws.

Cloud slashed and struck the dark bodies flowing around him, until he was black with the blood of them. In that first wave, everyone had gotten separated, and was fighting in his own personal circle of hell. Claws got him across his back again, and as he turned to slash out at what hurt him, his right leg buckled underneath him. He fell to his knees for only a moment, before pushing through the pain and standing, quickly taking out two beasts who thought to catch him while he was weak. Suddenly, every beast stopped, heads cocked to the side as though listening. As one, they ignored the small group, and ran for Midgar. Cloud cursed, and looking around, spotted his bike. He had a brief glance at the burning forms of Zach and Sephiroth, and the prone body of Vincent, Marlene kneeling over him. Ignoring everything, including the blood that was dripping from his body, his own and the beasts, he righted it, and started it while still getting in the seat. He never heard the voices yelling at him to stop, the knowledge of all the innocent people who would be slaughtered in Midgar overriding any concern he had for himself.

Soon he was flying through the ranks of the beasts. He weaved through them, using his bike, his hands, and his sword, bringing death to any that he could reach. His eyes were black, burning with blue fire, and a fierce grin was on his face even as claws and teeth ripped through his flesh. He knew, _knew_ that he couldn't let any of these monsters reach Midgar. He was ripped from his bike with a small gasp, and he went rolling on the ground, slamming into a rock, and the fire died around his body instantly. He lay there, gasping for breath as the beasts ran past him, staring up at the darkening sky. 'We've been fighting all day?' he thought. He pushed himself into a sitting position, forcing his body to move despite the pain now screaming through him. He staggered to his feet, and finally raised his eyes to watch the last of the monsters stream past him, and his mind refused to let him comprehend what he was seeing for a moment. Then it hit him like a hammer to his forehead, and hit him so hard he collapsed back to he knees, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The ground that stretched before him was covered with the dead and dying, the dry earth coated in the sticky black of their blood. He turned, and shook his head in disbelief as he saw Midgar, not 300 feet from where he knelt. The defenses had gone up, but there weren't that many monsters left, and even as he watched, the army took down what was left. He heard the engines of the other bikes, and as he came to his feet again, Sephiroth and Zach rode up.

Sephiroth looked at Cloud, and his eyes widened in amazement that the blond was even standing. As he shut off the engine, he slung his leg over, swallowing his energy, and walked slowly over to Cloud, taking in the his injuries as he did. Cloud had claw marks crossing his entire body, bite marks on his shoulders, upper arms, and thighs. Blood was dripping from very deep cuts on his chest, and even as he watched, Cloud staggered, and fell to his knees. Sephiroth knelt, and taking the other man into his arms, he looked down into those sparkling blue eyes. Cloud smiled, and raised a hand to touch Sephiroth's cheek, the world having gone white around the edges.

"We did it," he whispered. Seph nodded, and Cloud sighed, closing his eyes. Sephiroth's eyes widened as he felt Cloud's heart stutter, and his own died in his chest as he felt Cloud's do the same. He took a running start, Cloud in his arms, and jumped on his bike, making the tires scream as he flew towards Midgar. 'No, fuck no, not this, not now,' he repeated to himself, shoving his own energy into Cloud's body, not caring that he felt his heart stutter in his chest. Cloud's came back to life, and Sephiroth breathed a sigh of relief, before slamming the door shut between Cloud and himself, and Zach. He would not let Cloud or he take Zach down with them should something happen. He flew through new barricade, knowing that Zach was following quickly behind him, but as he parked the bike in front of the medical center, he felt Cloud's heart stop once again. Collapsing to his knees, he dimly heard Zach calling his name as his world went white. As his vision was growing dark, he shoved what energy he had left into Cloud, and as he collapsed into Zach's arms, he felt Cloud's heart beat again, as his own stopped.


	15. Genesis

**I gots me some inspiration! Ahem, sorry about that. I had to bring him back. You'll see. :D Review! Please?**

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"Stay with us damnit!" Sephiroth swam out of the comforting whiteness that surrounded him, and was sharply brought back to reality as someone smacked him. He tried to open his mouth to tell them he was fine, but the whiteness came rushing back in. He snapped back to himself as he was smacked again, and as he opened his eyes, he took in the violet ones that were staring down at him.

"Zach?" he whispered, and he felt a jolt of fear at the immense relief in those dark eyes. His world swam away again, and again he was slapped. Everything snapped back into focus, and a breath rushed into lungs that ached. He lay there for a moment, taking in the sounds that he heard around him. He heard Cloud's name, and sat upright in his bed, even though Zach was there with a hand on his chest, trying to get him to lie back down.

"Your heart stopped three times, Seph. You used all of your energy to keep Cloud alive, and yes, he is alive." Sephiroth felt an immense wave of relief sweep through him, and he lay back down on the bed, looking around him, and seeing nothing but white coated doctors watching him.

"Where is Cloud?" He narrowed his eyes at the way Zach looked to the floor, not meeting his eyes. "Zach, where is Cloud?"

"I don't know," Zach said softly, finally raising his eyes to meet the jade ones. "When he woke and saw you lying there, your heart not beating, his eyes went dead, and he walked out the door. No one knows where he is now." Sephiroth took a deep breath, as Zach's news sunk in. He frowned as he sat up, everyone around him trying to make him lie back down, except Zach. He was merely watching, his arms crossed over his chest. Sephiroth sunk his roiling emotions down deep, and looked around at the doctors with cold, glowing eyes. They all stopped talking at once, and made a hasty exit out the door, till it was only Zach and him left in the room. Sephiroth walked over to the wall where his sword was, and as he sheathed it, he turned to look at Zach. Zach smiled slightly, and shook his head.

"Last I saw him, he was heading for the roof." Sephiroth nodded, and walked out the door.

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Cloud let his fingers slide over the strings of the guitar, the melancholy notes floating away on the wind. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, letting the instrument fall silent. 'This will have been the third time he's died because of me,' he thinks. 'I can't keep doing this, to either myself or him. Its not fair. If he stays with me, helps me in this battle, then he will surely die. I can't let that happen, not again. This isn't his fight.' He opened his eyes at the sound of footsteps, and glanced up to see Sephiroth walking across the roof towards him. Cloud shook his head, and stood, looking over the new buildings that had sprung up around the new ShinRa building, under the old plate. Sephiroth stopped close to him, and Cloud felt his hand reach out, and slowly stepped away, not once looking at the other man. He moved the guitar from around his neck, and set it down slowly on the ground.

"Don't follow me," he said softly, and with a running start, he leaped from rooftop to rooftop, until he was quickly over the new barricade. He finally looked up, and he could feel his heart break as he took one last look at the man he loved, before moving out into the desert, alone.

Sephiroth could only stare in astonishment as Cloud ran away, again. His last words played through his head, and as he watched the bike Cloud had gathered race away into the desert, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He raised his hand to rub the spot, and a cold anger slowly replaced the numb sorrow that was building in him. His face shut down, and a small smirk slowly curved his lips as he turned away from the trail of dust, and walked into the building.

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Zach watched Sephiroth over the next couple of days. Something had made Cloud leave, but as Tifa had said, anytime something was eating away at him, he ran. Sephiroth was back to being the man that he was when Zach first met him. Cold, arrogant, and willing to do whatever was necessary. They sat across from each other in the conference room on the third day after Cloud had left, listening to Rufus as he gave them their troops, and where they would need to go. Zach wasn't even paying attention as he watched Sephiroth. The other man raised his jade eyes, and Zach only raised an eyebrow, before giving him a quick hand signal that asked if he wanted to spar later. He gave a small sigh of relief at Seph's small nod, and he grinned as Seph quickly flashed his fingers.

'That silver haired pretty boy thinks he can beat me,' he thought with a smile. He blinked as Tifa pinched his leg, giving him a pointed look, and then looking at Rufus. He gave her a rueful smile, but as soon as her attention was off him, his mind began to wander again. He thought back to the time before he was a 1st Class, when Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis were the only three who could hold that title.

His hand raised of its own accord to touch the handle of the sword that was resting on his back, as he thought of Angeal. He remembered the time when Sephiroth told him about how the three 1st Class SOLDIER's would screw around in a training simulator, and smiled, even though it was sad. It was nice to think that at one point Angeal and Genesis had others who they could call friends. He shook his head slightly, earning a glance from Sephiroth. He smiled slightly, and flipped the paper in front of him over, before writing on the back, _Angeal and Genesis were happy, right? Before everything started happening? _He turned it so Sephiroth could read it, and Zach felt his eyes grow hot at Sephiroth's small nod.

Sephiroth's mind went back over the last time he saw Angeal and Genesis. The last time for Angeal was when he forced Zach to kill him. Zach showed him the memory he had of Genesis, while they were in Banora. He closed his eyes briefly at the remembered grief of seeing his friend in such obvious pain, lying under that tree pale and still as death. His eyes shot open, and he stared at Zach as something whispered through his mind. He watched as Zach whispered Genesis, and far off, he felt Cloud collapse into a bed as the vision surged through the suddenly open doors, sweeping them all away.

----------

_He opened his eyes, trying to focus on his surroundings. His head felt as though it was going to float away from his body. He tried to raise a hand to touch his forehead, and stopped suddenly. He couldn't move. A fissure of panic slithered through him, and he slowly began to tense and release every muscle. He could move those, but as he tried to push through whatever it was that was containing him, he found that he couldn't. Calming himself, he instantly tensed as he sensed movement from somewhere behind him. He controlled his breathing, eyes narrowed to mere slits as he watched a tall, blue-eyed man come around him. He watched the others mouth move, and suddenly found that he could move his own mouth, and could even speak._

"_I can't hear a word your saying." Denzel stared in amazement at the red haired man in front of him. He was encased in a sphere of some sort of energy, and as Denzel reached up a hand, he found no resistance as he pushed his hand through. His fingertips came in contact with the others arm, and suddenly, the energy was gone, sending electrical bolts shattering through the cave, and the man fell onto him. Denzel caught him, and slowly lowered him to the floor, watching in trepidation as he gasped for breath. _

_He had found a small cave entrance when he reached the Crater, and followed it, hoping that somewhere along his way he would come across a place to enter into Hojo's lair, and retrieve the blade that Hojo kept ranting on about. He did not expect to find this man on his first day into the caves. The eyes that stared up at him with surprise were such a pale blue they were like ice, with a dark ring around the outer edge. Denzel shook himself, and sat cross-legged next to the other man._

"_Who are you?" The other man shook his head, and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. _

"_My name is Genesis, I remember that much." Denzel raised an eyebrow, and pulled the pack that was on his back around, searching through it until he found some water and bread. Handing them to Genesis, he watched with narrowed eyes at the man drained the whole bottle, and ate every last crumb._

"_You don't remember how you got here?" Genesis shook his head, and then narrowed his eyes as a fleeting memory flashed through his brain, gone to quickly for him to grasp it. He shrugged, and looked over his shoulder as something made an odd movement against his back. He reached back and slid his sword around, staring at the blood red blade. He looked at the other man, and raised an eyebrow._

"_I'm guessing I was a fighter of some sort…" he trailed off with a small, sad smile. Denzel smiled slightly, somewhat glad he had a fellow warrior with him now, and held out his hand._

"_I'm Denzel." Genesis shook his hand, and then slowly got to his feet, looking around._

"_Where are we?" Denzel got to his feet as well, and slinging the pack back across his shoulders, he adjusted his Katana._

"_Were at the Northern Crater." He saw the look in Genesis's eyes, and smiled slightly. "I guess you don't recognize the name. Do you remember anything at all?" Genesis nodded, and raised a hand up to touch the earring that was dangling front his right ear._

"_I remember being a child, living in a large house with my mother and father. I had a friend, his name was Angeal, and we always used to get into a lot of trouble. The last clear memory I have though, is of him and I climbing a tree in my backyard to try and pick some apples." Genesis frowned as his head started to hurt from the effort of trying to remember. He let it go, and turned to Denzel, who was watching him with a patient look on his face. "What are you doing here?" _

"_I came to find something. I can lead you out of here if you want, or you can come with me." Genesis smiled, and for Zach and Sephiroth, watching from afar, it made their hearts ache. The smile confirmed it. It really was Genesis. He was still alive, and apparently whole. _

"_I will come with you, if you do not mind the company." Denzel shook his head, and turning, he led them deeper into the caverns. Genesis straightened and followed, catching up with Denzel easily. He listened with amazement as Denzel described the world as it was now, but he stopped in his tracks, eyes widening as he tried to speak. Sephiroth. Zach. Cloud. Denzel had been talking about the men who had taught him the sword, and he fell to his knees, holding his head as memories surged through him. He saw himself and Angeal as children, being tested and experimented on by Hollander, and the first time that he, Angeal, and Sephiroth had met. Flashes of battles, of people dying under his sword. How he deserted his true friends because he had started deteriorating, and he was to proud to ask Sephiroth for any help. He remembered Zach, on that last day, with a younger man with him, eyes cold and dead from mako poisoning. How Zach had saved him. _

_Genesis drew himself upright, and looked up at Denzel, who was gazing down at him with a frown between his eyes. Genesis decided right then and there, as his mouth opened to quote Loveless, that he was going to make a change. No more quoting, no more betrayal. He would not be the same person that he used to be. Just looking back on his life he was ashamed of the way he acted, how he handed his mind over to the dark force that was inside him. 'I handed it over on a silver fucking platter,' he thought with scorn. He had let himself be consumed by the overriding desire to be better then Sephiroth. He knew it would be hard, but he had a second chance, and he wasn't going to waste it on petty jealousies. He pushed himself to his feet, and stared down the long tunnel, raising a hand above his head, and activating one of his personal powers. A glowing ball of energy formed over their heads, lighting everything in a twenty foot radius. He grinned slightly, and looked to Denzel._

"_What is down here again?" Denzel raised an eyebrow at the energy ball, and the way the man in front of him now held himself. It was a complete transformation from how he looked and acted not even five minutes ago. He held himself with pride, and you could tell just by looking at him that he knew how to use the sword hanging at his back. _

"_I came looking for a weapon to use against someone called Hojo," Denzel blinked at the sudden hatred that raged in the ice blue eyes. 'That man is just not popular,' he thought with a malicious glee. _

"_Hojo, huh?" Genesis said, and then began walking down the hallway. "I have some unfinished business with Hojo." Denzel opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again at the look from Genesis. 'He'll tell me when he wants to, I guess.'_

_----------_

"Genesis," Sephiroth whispered, as he came back to himself. "So you are still alive." He looked at Zach, and he felt another tug on his mind. He watched the other man close his eyes, and as Seph did too, he could clearly see Cloud sitting down on the bed, his head in his hands. As the blond spoke, he could hear him just as clearly as if he was standing at his side.

"Who's Genesis? And what does he have to do with Hojo?" Seph tried to think of a reply, but before he could, he felt something shift in Cloud's mind, and as he dived a little deeper, he almost saw Zach giving Cloud all the memories he had of Genesis and Angeal. He watched Cloud's face smooth out in obvious relief, and felt his light brush on his mind. He nodded, knowing that Cloud could see it, and let him sort through his memories, and had to grin as he felt the blonds shocked awe as he came across the memory of the day he, Angeal, and Genesis sparred in the simulator. Cloud drew away from his memories, and sighed.

"I would hazard to guess that he's been down there for what? At least three years." Cloud saw Zach nod, and leaned back against the wall as he thought. "From the vision just now, I'm hoping that he is serious about changing, because with what I saw from the two of you, I'm not sure I would want him as an enemy. Well, I'll find out soon enough, I suppose." He felt the other two men twitch in surprise, and cursed himself.

"What are you going to do Cloud?" Zach asked, and as Cloud looked at him with calm eyes, he got them back. He winced, and turned his head aside.

"I am going to go bring Denzel back. And now Genesis." He felt their shock, and with a small mental twist, he severed the connection. He felt them, like a mental knock on the door, but he refused to answer. He stood, and gathering the things in his pack, he knew that it was time to go. Sephiroth and Zach both knew where he was now. 'Well, this is going to be interesting when I catch up to those two,' he thought sardonically, before walking out the door.

----------

Sephiroth and Zach were standing on what remained of ShinRa Tower, gazing out into the sunset.

"How many more people are going to come back and haunt us?" Zach said quietly, his normally laughing eyes quiet and solemn. Seph shook his head, and leaned against a metal support beam, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down the road that Cloud had taken off on. They stood there for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts, and then Sephiroth looked at Zach. Zach raised an eyebrow at the look in those jade eyes. He knew it all to well, because it was the look he got when he was thinking of a particularly insane idea.

"I'm afraid to ask what your thinking," he said. "But what are you thinking?" Sephiroth grinned, and Zach groaned softly. 'Oh shit,' was all he could think.

"I was thinking that since were technically not in SOLDIER anymore, and how much everyone needs us, that we might be able to get away with what I'm thinking."

"And that is…?"

"I say we collect Vincent and Marlene, and go after Cloud, Denzel, and Genesis. With the seven of us there, I think we could take Hojo, and not make it into a war." Zach just watched him, and he grinned the same insane grin.

"I like it." Sephiroth chuckled softly, and began jumping down gracefully from spot to spot, until he landed on the ground, Zach following close behind. He looked at Zach as they began walking back towards the training facility, and as they reached the door, he put a hand on his arm.

"If you don't want to leave Tifa, I would understand." Zach gaped at him, and then narrowed his eyes as he growled.

"Your nuts if you think I'm going to let everyone else go have some fun, and not be included. I've been wanting to rip out that bastards' throat for a long time now, Seph." Sephiroth nodded, and then began to chuckle again. Soon it was a full-throated laughter, and Zach was looking at him as though he was insane. 'Which is how I feel right now, so its ok,' he thought with another burst of laughter. He turned, and held out his hand to Zach. With a raised eyebrow, Zach took it, and had to smile as Sephiroth pulled him into a hug.

"You honor me by being my friend, Zach Fair," Sephiroth said as they pulled away from each other, hands still together. Zach nodded, and grinned. He moved lightning fast, catching Sephiroth off guard, and swept the mans legs from under him. Zach laughed, and ran to the door of the building, watching with a smirk as Seph slowly got to his feet.

"Last one to room 10 for our spar gets to tell Tifa where were going and why she can't come." Zach was off with a laugh, and Sephiroth was not far behind him, trying his damndest to get to that room first.


	16. The Legend

**Yay! We all love explanations, right? The reason why the three burn, and why they share the doors. Enjoy!**

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Cloud had never laughed so hard in his life. He finally got himself under control, and looked up at Aeris from his position on the ground. He had fallen when he couldn't breathe anymore.

"So," he began, and then had to take a deep breath as the laughter threatened again. He cleared his throat, and tried giving Aeris a calm face, even though she was glaring daggers at him. "You're telling me, that Sephiroth, Zach, and I, are a trio of legendary warriors, who were born to defeat a great evil? C'mon Aeris, you have got to be kidding me."

She growled at him, and stalking up to him, she placed a fingertip on his forehead. She showed him an image the prophets had painted. It showed three men standing with only their profiles showing, hand clasped tightly around swords, facing a giant black beast with flaming red eyes. The three men looked eerily like Seph, Zach and Cloud. In the distance of the painting, there were four people, and they were burning too, but it was only their eyes and weapons. Cloud tried to get a better look at them, but Aeris took her finger away, and the picture faded from his mind. She looked down at him, and raised an eyebrow as he blinked at her. He opened his mouth, and she cut him off, trying to get him to believe.

"You never let me tell you the actual Legend. It is told, that after the Calamity falls from the sky, a man will be born, that will use it for his own twisted ways. Three warriors will be born, two years apart, who will form the triangle to take down the man. Death, the one who strikes the final blow. Lover, the shield and protector, and Brother, ruthless and practical. If they do not face this final evil together, the Weapon that the man has created will destroy all life on this Planet. If they stand together, they will win, and the evil will be banished from the Planet forever." Her voice grew desperate as he continued to look at her with skeptical eyes, a small smirk still hovering on his lips. "Cloud, you must believe. We don't know when this final battle is going to take place, we don't even know if Hojo has started making his own Weapon yet, but we do know that the Calamity that it speaks of is Jenova. This legend was spoken when the Ancients were first born into this world. That was before Jenova even came here."

Cloud stared at her, trying to wrap what she was saying around his mind. There was no way that this nonsense was true. Yet he couldn't help but look back through his memories, and things started to match what Aeris had been saying. The only time he had seen Zach, with the fire, was when he had been protecting Cloud. Same with Sephiroth. 'Well, except when he was taken over by Jenova, but I don't think that counts.'

He had been dying back with Hojo, the first time he had truly burned, and he now knew that extreme situations could call the fire; be it pain, anger, or the need to survive. The first three days up by the Crater, he had been lost to the fire that had ruthlessly taken over. Slowly he had merged with it, until they sat comfortably inside his skin. Now, he knew he had learned control, and could call the fire forth when it was needed. He stared up at Aeris in horror.

"What about the doors?" He swallowed at the confused look in her eyes. He closed his as he tried to explain. "Seph, Zach and I have these connecting doorways in our mind. It was how I was able to show them how to control it, and make them both burn for the first time." She smiled at him, and touched his forehead once more. She showed him another painting of the three men, their swords raised and them high in the air, coming down upon the beast. Each one was aglow in fire, very much like what had been engulfing them. Only the colors were different. The four that he had seen in the first painting were still there too, battling the monster from below, while the three took it from above. Cloud opened his eyes, and Aeris sat down across from him, picking a flower and staring into the depths of it.

"Another part of it tells about the Ultimate. It is a state in which they feel nothing except the driving need to protect one another, and do what needs to be done. That is why it's a triangle. Death is the top, the one who is able to control Ultimate when needed, able to funnel it into the Final Strike. Sephiroth is the Lover of Death, and Zach is the Brother. It would explain these doorways you're speaking of. You need them in order to control the power through them, when the time comes." Cloud stared at her as she spoke, blinking rapidly as more and more fell in line. He cleared his throat, and she finally looked up at him.

"So you're saying that we need to stick together, huh?" She smiled slowly at the light teasing in his voice, and then sighed, looking back down to the flower in her hand.

"I don't know. All I know is that you have to face the Weapon and Hojo together or you won't succeed. It doesn't say anything about the space in-between, or whether or not one of you will die in the time from you finally coming together, till the creation of said Weapon. There's a lot of unknowns. One of the reasons why I never told you of this Legend, was because I thought you had truly killed Hojo. I knew the man the legend spoke of had to be him, since Hollander was truly dead." She sighed again, her eyes closing and a small frown creasing her brows. "I still couldn't bring myself to tell you, after you killed Sephiroth that first time, even knowing that the paintings looked so much like you, Zach, and Sephiroth. It would have been cruel to you, and I didn't want that."

Cloud sighed softly, and shook his head once more. He brushed up against the doors in his mind, and Seph and Zach both answered immediately, opening them wide. He had a moment of surprise to see that they were quickly on their way to his position, before cutting it off, and giving them all the information Aeris had just given him. He felt their shocked awe, before they slid the bikes to a stop, looking at each other. Finally, it was Sephiroth who began laughing, and Zach soon followed suit. Cloud sat there and smiled, but it wasn't real, because he now knew exactly how serious this situation was. Slowly, his state of mind began to seep into them, and their laughter stopped. Zach swallowed, and his eyes widened.

"Cloud, are you serious?" Cloud nodded. Sephiroth and Zach both paled, and Cloud saw through their eyes as Vincent and Marlene landed close by them. He felt Aeris start, and turned his eyes towards her, focusing back on himself. He knew that she had seen what he did, and wondered what would make her go pale as the whiteness around them.

"Aeris?" She blinked, and looked at him. "What wrong?" She opened her mouth to say something, and closed it just as quickly. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke into those eerie, glowing blue eyes. She knew she was speaking to Sephiroth and Zach as well, and it unnerved her even more, but she pressed on.

"Marlene. She has two wings. Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal only had one. The two wings signify she is meant to be a Protector. Vincent has them too, which means he is supposed to be one as well. The third must be Denzel, and I don't know who the fourth could be." Her next words were spoken as though she was reciting something. "Two wings to signify the Chosen to protect the triangle. Four there will be, for the Elements of the Planet." She came back to herself, and looked at Cloud. He just looked back at her, giving her a calm gaze, even though his heart was pumping double time with fear.

'Great, so not only do I have to put Zach and Sephiroth in the line of danger, but Marlene, Vincent, and Denzel as well.' He hung his head, and then used barely a whisper of power to break the vision with Aeris, because she let him. His head swam for a moment, but when he raised it to look around, it was the same dead trees that he had stopped at.

Sephiroth glanced at Zach, and with a quick hand signal, let him know that they were only an hour or so away from Cloud's position. Zach nodded, and turned his mind back inwards so he could speak to Cloud.

"Spike, I know this isn't what you wanted, but were hard to kill. You of all people should know this," he whispered softly through the doorway. A wave of anger, hate and fear washed through the door, and Zach knew it wasn't coming from himself. It was there but a moment before Cloud locked it away, his eyes turning a cold, icy blue. Zach felt his eyes going as cold as Clouds, and he quietly spoke.

"Why the anger? The hate? Do you, of all people, hate me? What for?" His voice was soft, and there was a mocking lilt to it that made a spark of anger return to Cloud's eyes. Zach continued before he could speak. "You have a right to hate me. You have a right to be angry with me. I was the one who just stood by and let you be tortured to death. I watched as each time your heart was made to beat again, you screamed, and cried. Not from the pain, but because you had given up. You woke up each morning, and were pissed off that you still lived. I know, because I felt the same way. There was nothing I could do for you, just like there was nothing I could do for Sephiroth. I failed you both, and all I could do was watch as that shit was done to you, time and time again."

Zach closed his eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for Cloud to slam the door shut, but he didn't. Zach felt a nothingness envelop his mind, and he opened his eyes, not knowing that only the iris of his eyes were burning blue, ringed with red. Small tendrils escaped, making his lashes burn as well.

Cloud gazed at his friend, as though he were standing right in front of him. His breath caught in his throat at the look in those red tinged eyes. He noticed the very same thing that Sephiroth had noticed about him. It looked as though Zach had some outer layer peeled off, and what lay underneath, nearly trembled with leashed violence. You knew just by looking at him, that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to get the job done. This, was his Brother. Zach spoke, and as he did, the flame slowly began spreading across his body, but it was quiet, like the flame was waiting for the right trigger, so it could blaze.

"I know what Hojo told you. He played that sick game well, wouldn't you say? He knew you wanted to die, and used it against you, to get you to hate me. He would tell you that I begged for you to come back, so Hojo obliged and brought you back. Sometimes, yes, I would beg. But I knew the hell you were going through. I would have rather seen you dead then what Hojo did to you. At least then I would get my punishment for being too much of a coward to keep you both alive." He blinked once, his facial expressions never changing, and then looked down to his bike, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I begged him to experiment on me. At least then you might have a couple days to recover. When he realized that the Jenova mix was doing nothing for me except make me stronger, he stopped, and just kept me in the mako. You though. You he was interested in. I think it was because when they first took us, he brought you back to life with just one injection of Jenova. You came back screaming. You remember the first couple months. We shared about equal time with him, and then you did something. I don't quite remember what it was -"

"It was the first time my eyes burned," Cloud said softly. Zach just nodded, and continued.

"Yea, I remember that now. That was the first night you weren't in mako. He kept you sedated and hooked up to a drip of the mix, the entire night. That was the first time he had come to me. He took me out of the container, and chained my wrists together, before chaining them to the floor. I was forced to kneel there and watch you through the night. I got to listen as you screamed my name, asking me why I brought you back. It wasn't the first time that happened. You always blamed me for not letting you stay dead. When you did start to die from the mako poisoning, and every time you came back, you always blamed me, and I couldn't, still can't, find any reason you shouldn't." Zach raised his head, and his eyes burned holes into Cloud with their intensity. Tears fell like liquid diamonds down his cheeks, and his eyes and lips crumbled around the edges.

"I wanted to die. Hojo kept telling me, over and over again, that if I would just let you die, all of your suffering would be over. I hated myself for keeping you alive, because I could never see a way out of it, for either of us. I couldn't help you, couldn't even take some of the pain for you. I had promised myself, since I couldn't save Sephiroth, that I would save you. I guess I did, physically at least. I still failed you. I wasn't able to keep my promises." Zach finally looked away, and the storm that was raging inside him finally broke, and the fire became so blinding that everyone was forced to look away. He didn't even try to fight it as his memory took them away.


	17. Zach

**Finally, a chapter about what happened to Zach, when he was with Hojo. Just as fucked as what happened to Cloud, but in a slightly different way.**

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'_That fucking bastard,' Zach thought, holding back tears of rage and fear. 'Why does he make me watch?' Cloud was strapped to the table in front of him, back arching off it as he screamed to die. His voice was already hoarse, and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. His throat was bleeding enough to spill out of his mouth, and Hojo was still making him scream. Zach struggled against the metal cuffs around his wrists, making the tender skin pour blood. He turned his head away, closing his eyes as he struggled with his breathing. Hojo was trying to break him, and he was very close to succeeding. Cloud stopped screaming, taking deep, gulping breaths, and Zach heard the scientist's heavy footfalls as he walked over to him. Zach opened dull eyes at the sound of Hojo's voice, but made no effort to turn to face the scientist. He felt Cloud's eyes glaring at him with burning blue eyes, but still couldn't find the strength to face those eyes._

"_He's been screaming for three days, Subject Z," Hojo says with a sneer in his voice. "He wants to die, so why don't you just let him? Hmmm?" Zach's breath stilled in his chest as he heard Cloud's quiet whisper._

"_Zach, its been almost three years," tears filled the blonds' voice as Zach raised his head finally, and met Cloud's glistening eyes. He couldn't seem to find another breath as Cloud continued. "Why don't you just let me go? Why do you keep me here?" Zach watched as Cloud began to struggle against his bindings once again, reopening some of the wounds on his back, tears freely falling from his eyes. "Let me fucking die! Let me be with him!" Zach finally got a shaking breath into his lungs as Cloud fell silent on the table, staring at the ceiling. _

_Zach felt anger surging inside him, and it burned each word that came from his mouth. "I can't just let you go! You need to fight too! You've just given up, is that it?" He closed his mouth abruptly, shocked with himself. He never meant to let Cloud see his anger. Even if the words were true, he didn't want his friend to know he felt that way. He was the strong one, he was the one that should have been determined to keep them alive. But somewhere deep inside him, that would rise to the surface slowly time after time, wanted to die as well. He knew Cloud's anger all to well, because he was angry at himself for struggling to stay alive, yet he couldn't help it. _

_Zach knelt there, eyes closed as Hojo walked back over to Cloud. The blond was still whispering please, when Hojo began to make small incisions into his arms. Soon though, he was back to screaming as the scientist, while humming, forced thin blades through each of his major muscles. Zach opened his eyes, and raised his head, forcing himself to watch what was happening. If Cloud could take it, then the least he could do was watch. His breath hitched as Hojo waited for the flesh to re-knit itself around the blades, and then ripped them out in another spray of blood. The scientist shook his head, because Cloud had passed out when the first one was taken out. Zach watched as he summoned an aide, and the two men took Cloud back to the chamber, filling it back up with mako. He struggled against his bindings, as the two men began to walk out._

"_Hey assholes!" he yelled at them, making them stop and turn around to stare at him. "What about me?" He swallowed as Hojo turned to his aide, and whispered something that was to low for even Zach to hear. The aide smiled, and a touch of fear shivered through Zach. The auburn haired man walked back over to where Zach was kneeling on the floor, and reached out a hand to lightly caress his cheek._

"_Oh, me and you are going to have fun tonight, I promise," the aide said softly. Zach swallowed, and lowered his head, clenching his fists together tight enough to draw blood from his own nails. He watched dispassionately as his blood dripped down to the floor, listening as the aide walked behind him. He twitched as he heard a blade snap open, but didn't move as his shirt was cut from his back, then viciously ripped away. He could hear the mans breathing increase with excitement, and he prepared himself for the worst. He never twitched as the man made cut after cut in his back, much to the disappointment of the aide._

"_Well I will just have to do better, hmm?" the man whispered in his ear, making Zach shiver with revulsion. He felt the cold fingers on the waistband of his pants, and knew what was going to happen. He barely had enough time to catch himself with his hands, as he was pushed forward onto his hands and knees. The cuffs dug cruelly into his wrists, and a wave of anger and self-hatred raged through him. He blocked out what the man was doing to his body, and turned his head to watch the almost lifeless form of Cloud, as he floated in the mako. 'I failed you, my friend,' he thought, wincing as the man shoved himself into Zach, tearing the sensitive skin. Zach blocked out the pain, as he was taught, and went back to his own thoughts. _

'_If I had known, I would of never agreed to let you come with us to Nibelheim. Even though your 1__st__ Class, and we didn't know what was going to happen, I would have done anything to spare what happened. I've tried getting Hojo to test me in your place, but he refuses. He keeps saying that he hasn't had anyone react to the mix like you have, except Sephiroth.' His thoughts scattered as he felt the man finish inside of him, and with a quick gesture, Zach felt what seemed like a hook pierce the skin right next to his right shoulder. It was followed by another on the left side, and then four more in succession down his back. He twitched as each one went in, but made no noise, or other movement. He looked up, tears making his eyes glint, as the aide walked around him, and took off his shackles. He readied himself to kill the man in front of him, and suddenly he was airborne._

'_There must be something connecting the hooks,' he thought dazedly, as he felt fresh blood begin to flow from the holes the hooks were making. Looking down at the man underneath him, he suddenly knew that he was suspended by the hooks in his back. _

_A sharp pain radiated through his body, and he twitched at the feeling of a blade going through his thigh. It was followed by another pain in the other leg, and he looked down to see the same blades that were used on Cloud, now sticking out from both his thighs. His eyes were completely cold, as he calculated. 'There not close enough to the main vein, so that's a good sign.' He looked up, and pain shot through his heart as he saw Cloud was awake, and staring at him. What made him finally begin to cry, was the cruel happiness and hate that filled those bright blue eyes. He met those blue eyes with his own, willing Cloud to see that he was so sorry that all of this was happening to him. What Zach was going though now was nothing compared to what Cloud went though every single day. _

_The aide finally noticed what Zach was looking at, and fear filled Cloud's eyes as the man walked over to him. Zach bit his lip, knowing that the aide could do nothing to Cloud. The blond was Hojo's pet project, and if he ever found out another had touched him, they would die. The aide merely pressed a button on the tank, and the light left Cloud's eyes as he fell into a drugged stupor. Zach let out a sigh of relief, and looked back down as the aide walked back over to him._

"_We still have a couple hours," the man whispered, licking his lips in anticipation. He grabbed Zach's hands, and before he could even think to struggle, the aide jerked downwards, ripping the hooks out of his back, and making him land face first onto the hard stone floor. Zach groaned slightly, before pushing himself onto his hands and knees, with wobbly arms. The hated manacles were once again put around his wrists, but the chain was shortened so he either had to kneel with his legs spread as far as they could go, or on his side. Zach watched the aide walk away, and with a small sigh, he lay down on his side._

'_I'm going to be here the rest of the night, might as well- ' his thought was cut short as something snapped through the air, and a searing hole appeared in his side. He looked down, and noticed a chunk of muscle and skin missing from around his ribs. He looked up, murder making his eyes almost burn, at the smirking aide. The man held a whip, but it was braided metal, and attached to the length were small barbs, with larger ones at the tip._

"_You have a choice," the man said, walking slowly over to Zach. "On second thought, no, you don't have a choice." Zach watched as the man unshackled his hands, and then dragged him about five feet away, while his back was screaming in agony from being scraped against the stone. His wrists were once again cuffed, but separately this time, and then his ankles were bound too. Spread eagle on the floor, he could only look up at the bare ceiling, and wait for the pain to begin again. The man raised the whip, and a voice rang out through the room, bouncing off the cavern walls._

"_What do you think your doing?" Hojo asked, as he walked over to them. Zach smirked slightly at the fear that shone in the other mans eyes, as he turned to the doctor, and started stammering out an apology. Hojo walked over, and took the whip from the aide._

"_You weren't holding it properly," he said with a malicious smile, staring down at Zach. Zach grimaced, and turned his head away, closing his eyes shut tightly. The first slash of pain ripped over his chest, and he concentrated on his escape plan, above all things._

'_I will not let Cloud die in this fucking hole, with this fucked up scientist,' he promised himself once again, even as his subconscious was screaming at him to just let go, and let both of them fall screaming into the black abyss of death. He struggled against his own mind, promising himself over and over again, even as his flesh was being ripped away from his body. He refused to give up even a slight glimmer of hope. Tears filled his eyes as Hojo and his assistant unshackled him, only to roughly spill him onto his stomach, before strapping him back down. The whipping began again on his back, and the despair threatened to consume him. He shoved it down, but then anger began to replace it. Anger at himself, mostly, but also anger at Cloud, for giving up so easily. Anger at Hojo, for doing this to them, and anger at Sephiroth for letting that bitch Jenova take him over so easily. He started screaming, but not from pain, as Hojo and the aide believed. They just laughed, and kept on with their torments, not noticing Zach's eyes as they began to burn. Zach bucked against the restraints, as his mind raged. He had failed Angeal, who was a mentor and friend. He failed Genesis, who was also a friend. He failed Sephiroth, Cloud, and himself. Hatred began to burn along with the anger as he began to realize just how much he fucked up. He finally gave himself to the emotions, and the burning of his eyes grew to consume his entire body. Hojo and the aide backed off, though Hojo was already taking down notes, watching as the fire sealed the wounds shut, leaving nasty scars. Zach gave one long, hate filled scream, and fell into a stupor. The last thing he heard before being dragged into the darkness, was Hojo's voice._

"_That's the same reaction Subject C had. We need to do this more often, so I can study it."_

_----------_

The three men came back to themselves, and Cloud blinked, realizing that there were tears on his cheeks. He never knew that Zach had been through the same physical torture he had. He felt the hatred and anger melting away completely as he gazed through the doorway at his friend. 'No, not friend. Brother.' He felt Sephiroth's eyes on him, and turned to the other doorway to see a demand in those jade eyes. Fix this, they said. Cloud tried to come up with words, and finally said what was going through his mind.

"I never knew. Whenever I would see you, you would always have a shirt on, and they never did anything to your arms, or above your neck. The fucking bastards played with us. They tortured you, just like they tortured me, but kept yours hidden, so I wouldn't know. The anger and hate I've been feeling towards you is all a lie. I felt like that because I always believed that you got off easy. Now I know that it was different. If anything, you had it worse. You got the physical, and the mental. I pretty much only got the physical," the last words were whispered, and Zach finally raised his head to stare into the pair of blue eyes. Zach smiled thinly, a twinkle of humor sparking in his eyes. The fire died down as it was taken back in his body, and Zach sighed, raising a hand to rub his forehead.

"Are you going to stay where you are, or do I have to send Marlene and Vincent to tie you down long enough for us to get there?" Zach smiled at the chagrined look in Clouds eyes.

"Yes, I will stay here," Cloud said with a small smile. Zach nodded, and the door between them closed. Cloud looked at Sephiroth, and truly smiled at the love in those jade eyes.

"Its about time the two of you came to terms with this," Sephiroth said into his mind, his lips not moving at all. Cloud nodded, and blew a kiss through the doorway.

"I'll see you soon, love," Cloud said. Sephiroth returned the gesture, and the door swung closed softly.

Cloud looked around him. He was only a day from the boat launch that would take him to the other continent where the crater was. He climbed off Fenrir, and set about starting a fire, making dinner, and setting up camp. After everything was all done, he sat on the ground, and stared into the fire. So much had gone on in such a short time, only a couple hours, that he didn't know what to really think. He finally felt…free. Cloud searched himself, and then nodded. 'Free. Yea, that is a good word for it.' The anger and hatred that he felt for Zach was finally gone, and he knew without a doubt, whatever was thrown at them, they could get through it.

A whisper went though the air, and he looked up, and blinked rapidly as a vision of Aeris appeared before him, pale and indistinct.

"Aeris? What are you doing here again?" Cloud asked, wondering what else had happened that they needed to fix. She smiled at him, and walked closer, even though her feet never touched the ground.

"I have brought you warriors. They want to be forgiven for what they put everyone through, and the only way they could do it was to come back, and help you. They finally realized what a bitch Jenova was, and their mistake in trusting her," she said quietly, motioning the three men to walk forward. Cloud groaned, and put his head in his hands, hearing the loud rumble of bikes coming quickly to his position. 'This is just fucking perfect,' he thought with a mental scream of frustration. The four warriors found him staring blankly at Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz across the fire. All three teens looked very uncomfortable under that blazing blue gaze.


	18. Teen Trio

**They needed more warriors. Besides, I always liked those three.**

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"Aeris said that we were needed!" Kadaj said hotly, as he sat next to the fire, warming himself. "I fucked up the last time, and I want to make it better." He finished lamely, and he cowered inside at the five glowing gazes that were looking at him.

"So you came back to repent for what you did, is that it?" Marlene asked them softly, and shook her head slightly as all three nodded their heads. Now that they weren't being controlled by Jenova, the three merely looked scared, and slightly out of place in their tight black leather. She noticed Kadaj widening his green eyes, and followed where he was looking. She had to smirk as she noticed Sephiroth had his Masamune out, and was stroking it almost lovingly as he looked at the three teens.

"I do have a question," Yazoo said quietly. All their attention turned to him, but he gave them serene eyes, even though his heart was thumping in his chest. He kept his eyes on Sephiroth, more specifically, his blade. He noticed it when the man first brought it out. It was the same length that he remembered, but double bladed like Kadaj's had been. He had wondered where his brothers' blade had gone. "Why is the Masamune now double bladed? It's the same length as the original sword, but how did it change?"

Sephiroth looked at Cloud, who only shrugged, and then at Zach, who copied Cloud's movement. Sighing, he realized it was up to him to explain.

"When the part of me that was possessing Kadaj was destroyed, somehow the two blades melded into one after he died." Sephiroth shut up, because he didn't really know how his sword became double bladed. He continued gazing at the three across the fire, not really knowing what to make of the now silent trio. They seemed sincere, but how could they really know? 'Aeris wouldn't have let them come back if they didn't mean what they said, right?' he mused to himself. He felt Cloud look at him, and cracked open the doors in his mind slightly, so words could get through.

'Do you believe them, love?' Seph said mentally, still judging the still forms across from them. He felt a mental sigh, and glanced quickly over at Zach, which is who it came from. No one would know that the three men were communicating mentally. He allowed himself a brief grin, and turned back to the trio.

'I don't know you two,' Zach said. He felt a mental nod from Cloud, and Zach continued. 'I mean, if they really are sincere, then we have three experienced fighters, right? If their not, then we have three liabilities on our hands, and we can't afford that going up against Hojo. They'll just get in our way.' Sephiroth sighed, and felt a headache building in his temples as he closed his eyes. Firm fingers began to massage the back of his neck, and he let the tension run out of him, knowing that whatever happened, the two men at his side would be there. He opened his eyes, meeting a pair of startled green ones. He raised an eyebrow, and smirked at the shocked look on Kadaj's face.

"What?" he said. Kadaj snapped his mouth shut, and swallowed before saying what was on his mind.

"I thought you hated him," he said to Cloud, who only raised an eyebrow. He looked at Sephiroth, and acting completely on impulse, he leaned over, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He had to laugh softly at the groan he heard from Zach, and he quickly moved, pressing Zach into the ground as he held himself over the man on his arms. Zach stared up at him, and Cloud didn't miss the desire that briefly flashed through his eyes before amusement took its place.

"Aww Zach, feel left out?" Cloud whispered, lowering himself so his lips hovered over Zach's. A thrill went through him, as he felt Zach's body heat up underneath him in desire. He licked his lips, and almost groaned as Zach's violet eyes dilated with passion. Everything was forgotten, including the man he loved at his back, the fact that Zach was with Tifa, and that he had promised himself that he would never act on the urges he felt for his best friend. Zach swallowed underneath him, and Cloud felt Sephiroth's fingers rest lightly on his leg. Sephiroth opened the door in his mind just enough to let Cloud know that not only did he think it was okay, but seeing Cloud and Zach together had seriously turned him on. However, since Sephiroth was the more controlled of the three, opening the door also let them know that they still had an audience, all of whom were watching them avidly. Cloud groaned softly, closing his eyes tightly as he forced himself away from Zach. He settled himself into Sephiroth, which wasn't much better, because the mans large erection was pressed against his lower back, making him curse everyone else silently.

Zach sat up, confused in his own mind. He had known that Cloud always had feelings for him, and vice versa, but neither one of them had ever acted on it. By the time they both realized it, Cloud had Sephiroth, and Zach was with Aeris. Zach looked at Sephiroth over Cloud's shoulder, and the heat in those jade eyes made his groin twitch in response.

'Oh yea, I've always had the hot's where ice man is concerned,' he conceded to himself, licking his lips when he saw an elegant silver eyebrow arch, and a sensual smile grace those lips. It took all the willpower he had to turn away, and not jump the two men where they sat. He swallowed, and his eyes rested on Marlene and Vincent, both of who were watching them with amusement, and a little heat in their eyes. Marlene was the first one to speak.

"That," she said, swallowing. "Was really fucking hot, you guys." Vincent just nodded, agreeing with her. Zach felt a blush creep over his cheeks, and looked over to Cloud and Seph, both of whom were blushing as well. Cloud grinned at him, and Zach heard a whisper through his mind, that made both Seph and him close their eyes, and grin devilishly.

'Later, I promise.' Cloud turned his mind back to the matter at hand, embarrassed with himself for forgetting the trio in the first place. The three teens were watching them, faces completely closed down, even though their eyes were blazing with curiosity. Cloud stood, and walked over to his bike, where he drew his sword out. He snapped together six pieces, leaving one out, which he then threw to Kadaj, who had stood after he did. The kid caught it, and staggered slightly at the weight.

"How the hell do you wield this thing?" he asked in amazement. Cloud laughed softly, and walked back over to the fire.

"Lots of training, and practice," he said, sizing the three of them up. He knew they could fight, but the one he was most concerned about was Loz. The only thing he had was the gauntlet, and his fists. Which were formidable enough, but not going up against Hojo and his creations. Yazoo had both guns in their holsters on his thighs, and he was good with hand to hand, and almost as good a shot as Vincent was. Cloud eyed Loz for a second, before turning to Kadaj, who was swinging the sword around him, face tight in concentration as he got used to the weight.

"Don't get use to it," Cloud said warningly. "I plan on buying you one when we reach the next big city, which is Bone Village." Kadaj nodded. "Ok, now I know the three of you can fight. Loz, do you have anything other then your gauntlet and your fists?" Loz looked up from where he had been staring at Marlene with a frown, and shook his head. Cloud sighed, and rubbed his temple. 'Were going to have to pick up another weapon for him to,' he thought. 'How much is this trip going to cost me?'

'Guys!' Aeris's voice shouted into his head, and he flinched.

'What Aeris?' He looked at the other two, and got confirmation that they were hearing what he was.

'I think I found the fourth!' she said excitedly. Cloud raised an eyebrow, and knew she felt the question in his mind. She was fairly bubbling over with excitement, and all three men felt it, eager to know who it was.

'Here I thought if you had it once, you'd never get it again, but he goes and proves me wrong! Something must have changed when he was stuck inside that thing!'

'Aeris!' Cloud shouted, and cut her off before she could get started again on her babbling. 'Who are you talking about?'

'Genesis!' The three men shared shocked glances, and Zach asked the question they were all thinking.

'But I thought to be a Protector you had to have two wings. Genesis only has one.'

'I know! I was spying on Denzel and Genesis, making sure they were okay, and they got into a bit of trouble, and suddenly Genesis had two wings! I don't get it, but I think it had something to do with the sphere of energy he was in. It changed him somehow. He is no longer degenerating, and his mind is completely stable! This is awesome!' Cloud shook his head at the enthusiastic babble in his head, and then thought of something.

'Aeris, can you show us how their doing?' He felt shock course through her mental presence, and raised an eyebrow.

'You mean, you don't know? You don't need me to show you. All it takes is two of you thinking about the person or place you want to see, and all three of you will.' Cloud, Zach, and Sephiroth stared at each other.

'But,' Sephiroth thought. 'What about the vision of Marlene, when she and Denzel escaped? None of us were thinking about them. And it hurt, unlike the vision we had of Genesis and Denzel.' Sephiroth narrowed his eyes as he felt her chagrin.

'Well, I kind of dragged you guys into the first one. I had to do it by force.' Cloud brought them all back to the matter at hand.

'Ok, so get out of our minds so we can have a look for ourselves.' She said goodbye, and the three of them were back in their own minds. They looked at each other, and then at Vincent and Marlene.

"Come here you two," Cloud said. Vincent raised an eyebrow, and glancing at the trio across the fire, he got up with Marlene's hand in his.

"What are you going to do?" Vincent asked, hesitantly placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder, while Marlene placed her hand on his other one. "I don't want to get sucked into another of your fucked up memories again Cloud." Cloud had to chuckle at that. 'Fucked up, yea, that sounds right,' he thought.

"No, I'm going to have a look at Denzel and Genesis, to see if their doing alright."

"Do we get to look?" Kadaj asked. Cloud looked at Zach and Sephiroth, who were now standing before him, and raised an eyebrow in question. Zach just shrugged, and Sephiroth nodded. Cloud turned to the other three, and nodded.

"You have to touch us, or it won't work." To their credit, none of them flinched as they walked around the fire. Kadaj placed a hand on Zach's shoulder, with Yazoo touching the other. Loz kept sending scared glances at Sephiroth, but he hesitantly placed his hand on the mans forearm. Cloud nodded, and opened the doors in his mind, amazed that they had finally learned control of this enough that the other fighters weren't picking up on their thoughts.

'Ok, so, Denzel or Genesis?' he asked. He felt Zach and Seph thinking it over, and then they were swept away by the vision. Cloud had enough control so no one fell to the ground unconscious, but that's where his control ended as they merged with Genesis's mind.


	19. Ignis Anima

**Ok, this chapter might be a bit confusing, but I had an idea I liked, so I ran with it. Review please, let me know what you think! Side note : Ignis Anima means Spirit Fire, in Latin. A cookie to the one who can tell me what the names mean. :D**

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_A tired sigh escaped his lips, and he growled as more blood splattered into his eyes. He wiped them, and glared at the man he was traveling with. Denzel just smirked at him, flourishing his Katana before sheathing it. Genesis shook his head, and cleaned off his crimson blade, flicking the pair of black, feathered wings that now adorned his back. He looked over at Denzel as he began moving farther into the cave, and gazed at the white wings that his companion now had. He distinctly remembered only having one wing, but somewhere in the last fight, his shoulder blades had started screaming with agony, and the two wings had burst out. After the monsters had been dispatched, he had checked himself thoroughly for signs of deterioration, but could find none. _

"_Hey Denzel," he called, and the other man turned around. Genesis blinked as he came closer to him, noticing that Denzel's once brown hair had started lightening, and it now had white streaks through it. His eyes were a pale, ice blue now, very much like an Ice Dragon he had encountered long ago. _

"_What?" Denzel asked, and Genesis shook himself, smirking slightly, even though his eyes were checking over the other man for signs of deterioration. _

"_When did we get these wings?" Denzel looked shocked at the question, but then looked over his shoulder at the large objects that rested so tightly against his body. His brows furrowed together into a frown, and he looked back at Genesis._

"_I don't know," he admitted, puzzlement in his voice. "I know it was during the last battle, when we were almost overwhelmed. Sometime during, my shoulders began to burn, and then poof, I had wings. Is that what happened with you?" Genesis nodded, and then brushed past him, already hearing the clicks on the stone floor that announced the arrival of more creations._

_----------_

Cloud was dragged out of the vision, and he staggered with the dizziness that accompanied being forcefully thrown out of it. He caught himself before he fell into the fire, and then heavily sat down, looking at the people that surrounded him. Everyone was still caught up in the vision, which was odd, since he was the one who was supposed to control it. Cloud shook his head, and went to reach out to touch Sephiroth, when movement in the woods surrounding them caught his eye. He went completely still, as a large white wolf as tall as his waist padded from the trees, looking at him with intelligent blue eyes.

**Do not be afraid**, the wolf spoke into his mind. If Cloud hadn't been conversing with Zach and Sephiroth mind to mind, he might have found the contact strange. As it was, he just accepted it, and a frown creased his brow.

**I am here as a guiding Anima,** the wolf continued, padding over and sitting by the fire. **My name is Lupus. We must wait for the triangle to come out of the trance before my brothers will show themselves. **Cloud raised an eyebrow, willing the wolf to continue, but he merely stretched his long body out, belly to the warmth of the fire, and closed his eyes. Cloud tried reaching out as he would Zach or Sephiroth, and met a slippery blank wall, where the animal's conscious resided. Cloud sighed, giving up as repeatedly the wolf kept deflecting his mind.

A collective breath went through everyone, and Cloud turned just as Sephiroth opened his eyes. Before the blond could open his mouth to warn everyone, Lupus spoke within their minds, causing Vincent and Yazoo to draw their guns, and everyone besides Zach and Sephiroth to instantly be on guard.

**My name is Lupus, and I am not here to harm you. Neither are my brothers. **Cloud turned to him, getting ready to ask who exactly these brothers were, and two distinct presences brushed over his mind. A steely calm settled over him, and as one, he, Zach, and Sephiroth turned to the sky.

A sinuous white figure floated down to them on iridescent wings, covered in glittering scales. As it came closer, awe quickly sped through the waiting crowd. It lowered itself down, gently hitting the ground on four clawed feet. Each scale along the dragons hide was edged in a metallic emerald green, its eyes the same color. He watched them all watching him, and shook his head, sending moonlight sparkling along his seven-foot length. Multiple thin, spiraling horns came from the base of his skull, giving him a regal appearance, and each horn was tipped in the same green. The claws were green, as well as the spikes adorning his spine. Everything else was a gleaming white. The flapping of wings caught everyone's attention, and they all turned as one to look towards the sky again.

A large eagle came soaring over top of them, before landing gracefully next to the wolf. Its violet eyes stared at them with arrogance, and slight amusement. Cloud blinked a couple times, taking in the pure white of its feathers, and the startling contrast of the bright crimson feet, beak, and claws, along with the crimson edging of its feathers. Cloud looked over at Zach, who was gazing at the animals in admiration, even though his eyes kept going back to eagle, while Sephiroth had yet to take his eyes off the dragon. They all jumped as the dragon spoke to them mentally.

**I am Draco, **he said, bowing over his right foreleg. Everyone bowed back, even if some of them were a little shaky with it.

**I am Aquila,** the eagle said next, causing them all to jump again. Each one had its own distinct voice he noticed, and Cloud had to physically clench his hands into fists to keep from running his fingers through the brilliant white of the wolf's fur. He knew that Zach and Sephiroth were having the same sort of trouble. He could feel the tension running through them as they stood, staring at the magnificent animals. The wolf stood in one fluid movement, and walked over to Cloud, sitting down directly in front of him, and gazing up into his eyes. Sephiroth came and stood at Cloud's left hand and Zach at his right, and the dragon flowed across the ground, settling itself in front of Sephiroth. The eagle gave one mighty pump of its wings, landing in front of Zach. The three men stood staring at the animals in front of them, and the five people surrounding them shivered at the eerie way their eyes matched the animals. They were the same exact color to the men standing in front of them.

**We are the Ignis Anima's,** Lupus, the wolf, said. **The Spirit Fire. We are the result of what happens when you learn complete control of the fire inside. We are the physical manifestation of the power so we may guide, teach, and grow along with you. We will be there, by your side in the Final Battle, and you will be able to draw upon us for strength, when your own is depleted. Once you bind yourselves to us, there is no turning back. It is why my brothers and I are keeping you three from touching us. You must understand that by becoming one with us, you are sealing your fate. For bad or good, you will be bound to complete this task, until you die, or emerge triumphant. Do you understand?**

Cloud nodded, as did Sephiroth and Zach.

**Then claim us, and let us be on our way, for we have much to do yet. **The three men reached out their hands at the same time, and again at the same time, their hands encountered the animals. They uttered a collective gasp as the power ripped through them, making them burst into flame in an instant. They had earned their control though, and while the power raged through them, they were still able to maintain their minds, and marvel at the new strength. The fire traveled down their arms, until it coated the animals in front of them. Each beast slowly raised its head, until their eyes met. As soon as their eyes met, something clicked in the three men's minds, and pain shot through their bodies as blackness engulfed them.

----------

Cloud awoke to sunlight streaming into his face. He rolled over before opening his eyes, and groaned as his entire body creaked in protest. He felt a quiet chuckle in his mind, and froze, his eyes widening as he stared at a rock from less then an inch away.

'Lupus?' he asked mentally, and the chuckle came again.

**Get up. You've slept long enough,** the wolf said, sounding far too awake. Cloud groaned, and levered himself up onto his hands and knees, glaring over at the wolf that was sprawled next to the dying fire.

'Aren't wolves supposed to be nocturnal?' Cloud grumbled, looking around, trying to ignore the laughter in his head. He spotted Sephiroth, and had to grin at the way the dragon was wrapped around him, his bony head resting on the mans chest, both of them still sleeping peacefully. He sat up on his knees, stretching his arms as he yawned. The next person he saw was Zach. Cloud had to stifle a laugh, as he noticed the man sprawled on his stomach, using a blanket as a pillow. The eagle, Aquila, had his upper body on Zach's lower back, his wings spread lengthwise over Zach's body, like a living blanket. It was funny because they were both snoring softly, breathing at the same moment. He reached out with his mind, and gave each man a light tap, and was satisfied when they both twitched and opened their eyes. Zach being Zach, just groaned, and rolled over, right onto Aquila.

**Watch it! t**he bird said angrily, flapping his wings, and trying to get out from underneath Zach. The man just grinned, eyes still closed, and reached over to rub the birds head.

"I'm getting up, don't worry," he said, and yawned again, sitting up. Aquila ruffled his feathers, and with a glare at Zach, he took off into the sky, Draco untwining himself from Sephiroth, and following close behind.

**We will go get food,** Lupus said, and Cloud nodded as the wolf trotted into the forest. He had a thought, and stopped Lupus with a light mental touch. The wolf looked back at him, already blending in with the shadows of the forest despite his brilliant color.

"We have food, you know," Cloud said aloud, because it still felt weird to him to speak mind to mind. Lupus laughed, and it was echoed by Aquila and Draco.

**We require fresh meat, not the tough, dried stuff you humans prefer.** With that, he was gone. Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, and huffed.

"Well excuse me for trying to be polite," he muttered, and blushed as Sephiroth and Zach both laughed at him. He allowed himself a rueful grin, and looked around. Vincent and Marlene were curled up underneath a different blanket, sound asleep. Cloud debated waking them up, and then decided it would be better if they got some sleep. Surprisingly, he himself felt refreshed once the aching in his body went away. He was wide-awake, as though he had gotten a weeks worth of sleep. He looked over at the other two men, who were busy getting the fire going again, and noticed the subtle signs of strain were gone from around their eyes and mouth. He allowed himself a small smile, and then someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He looked, and the smile disappeared as he saw Kadaj standing there. Cloud raised an eyebrow, and then looked over to notice that both Yazoo and Loz were still asleep too.

"What happened last night?" Kadaj asked, looking nervously at Cloud's arm. He raised an eyebrow, and looking down at his own arm he blinked in surprise. Cloud quickly took off his shirt, and looking down at his own chest, saw that the flames from his tattoo now curved around until they met on his stomach. Flames were now covering his chest too, and winded down his arms, until they stopped at his wrists. Ignoring Kadaj, he walked over to where Zach and Sephiroth were kneeling down by the fire.

"Take off your shirts," he said. They both looked at him, raised eyebrows, and then looked at each other, grinning evilly. Cloud groaned softly, hating his fair skin for how easily he blushed. "I want to see something, so just take off your shirts." The two men shrugged, and standing, did as he asked.

Cloud gaped in amazement at the eagle that was now wrapped around Zach's ribs. Sephiroth's jaw had dropped upon seeing the new tattoo as well. Cloud walked around Zach, who was staring at his body as though he had never seen it before. The eagle's head was right between his shoulder blades, and the wings extended from its body, to wrap around Zach's ribs, the tips meeting right over his heart. The tail feathers went under the waistband of his pants.

"Did that damn bird do this to me?" Zach demanded, but instead of anger in his voice, it was almost wonder. Cloud nodded, and motioned to Sephiroth. The jade-eyed man had a dragon wrapped around his upper body now. The head was on his right chest, and then the body curved over his shoulder to wrap around his torso twice, before the tail vanished underneath his pants, and over his left hip. The dragon's claws seemed to be sunk into his skin, and the wings curled around his ribs, like the wings of the eagle. Cloud smiled, stepping back and admiring the handiwork. He had to admit, they both looked really sexy with those new tattoos. Zach's was black, just like his was, but the eyes were the same violet, and each wing was outlined in red. Seph's dragon was the same way. Same eye color as the General, and each scale was outlined in green.

"It seems as though we have been marked," Cloud said mildly.

"Marked?" Kadaj said from behind him. Cloud looked over his shoulder to see that the three brothers were awake and standing next to one another, looking at the three men with surprise at their new additions.

"Yes, marked," Cloud said impatiently. "These tattoos are the link between our spirit, and theirs. It's what allows us to use their power, and vice versa." Cloud frowned. 'How the hell did I know that?' he wondered, and then smirked as an answering laugh flowed through his head.

**You got it from me of course,** his wolf said. Cloud knew that Sephiroth and Zach had heard his question and the answer, but he realized that no one else had. 'This is going to come in handy,' he thought, grinning.


	20. Dark Beginning

**Final chapter! Please review!**

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They made is across the strait, landing in a small village that consisted of nothing but a lodge, tavern, and a general store. Cloud shook his head, briefly touching the minds of the Anima's, making sure that they had made it across. They had, so he let the contact go, knowing that they were going to hunt again. Apparently the three animals needed a lot of food. They still had two days until they made it to Bone Village, even with the use of the motorcycles. It was going to be awkward as is, because they were going to have to double up on the bikes. Cloud sighed, rubbing his forehead as he slung a leg over the bike. It was still daylight, and he was determined to get to Denzel and Genesis as quickly as they could. He looked over at Sephiroth where he stood with the bike between his legs, and his insides tightened. 'We haven't even had a chance to be together alone,' he thought bitterly, frowning. Then Seph looked over at him, and raised an eyebrow.

'I know exactly what you mean, love,' his deep voice slithered through Clouds mind. The blond had to tighten his grip on the bike as Sephiroth sent a series of mental images of exactly what he wanted to do to him. One of the vision's involved strawberries and chocolate syrup. Cloud felt his body harden, and shook his head roughly, slamming the door shut between them as Sephiroth laughed. Zach looked over at them, and raised an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?" he asked. Cloud shook his head, blushing. Zach grinned, and looked at Sephiroth, who only shrugged.

"We need to go," Cloud said quickly, starting his bike. "Kadaj, you better not lose my sword, got it?" Kadaj grunted in affirmation from behind him, and the three bikes roared out of the village while Marlene and Vincent flew overhead.

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Zach raised an eyebrow at the variety of weapons in the shop. It was early evening of the day they arrived in Bone Village, and already the three teens were running here and there, hell bent on examining each weapon. He watched as Loz picked up a mace, experimentally swinging it around him before gently putting it back on the shelf, shaking his head. Kadaj already had his weapon, a double-edged katana, and the edges were curved in a wave like pattern. It was all black, with small blue jewels fused to the silver hilt. It also had circles cut into the base of the sword, where you could place materia. He was standing off to the side talking to Sephiroth, who Zach was sure was giving him tips on how to use such a long blade. The black blade could only be maybe a foot shorter then Seph's Masamune.

Loz shouted, which brought Zach's head around. He was standing against the far wall, and in his hands was a huge axe. Zach raised an eyebrow, doubting that the kid could even raise the large weapon, let alone use it. He choked on his own tongue as Loz swung it around himself, a foolish grin on his face. He handled the damn thing like a pro. It was a deadly weapon, with two blades on each side of the handle, and the wicked blades were an odd blue-silver color. Two materia slots were on each side of where the blades met the handle, and the handle itself was black, decorated with twining silver vines, while the blades looked very plain with no adornment. Loz went and paid for it, getting a holster for it at the same time. Zach gave a sigh of relief, and walked out the door, having to resist the urge to try out some of the weapons for himself. He looked around the town, wondering where Cloud had gone off too.

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Cloud grinned as he walked down the lane, looking at the group of warriors that was gathered in front of the inn they had gotten rooms at for the night. Vincent and Marlene had decided to go camp in the outskirts of town, preferring to be by themselves so they didn't have to hide their wings. Just as he reached them, a group of Army soldiers walked up, and stationed themselves in a semi-circle around the group. Cloud watched them warily, his hand resting on his complete sword, now that Kadaj finally had his own blade. He felt the doors in his mind swing gently open, and their minds connected as the three men looked around at the group. Behind them, the three silver-haired teens brought their own weapons out, ready to defend the people they now looked at as their leaders. The soldiers had their guns trained on the group, and Cloud was sure that a lot of them were ones that he and the rest had trained.

'What do you think they want?' Zach asked, and Cloud raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly as he allowed his body to relax completely, preparing himself for whatever was to come.

'I think Rufus might be mad at us for leaving,' Sephiroth said quietly in their minds, where they were speaking.

'You two didn't tell anyone you were leaving?' Cloud asked, grinning as a couple of the soldiers shifted nervously. He felt Sephiroth and Zach shake their heads, and their mental voices became tinged with embarrassment.

'No, we didn't,' Zach said, and then coughed softly. 'I was going to tell Tifa, but we decided against it.'

'We also left in the middle of the night,' Sephiroth then said, and Cloud had to blink a couple times to restrain himself from laughing out loud. He could only imagine how Tifa reacted to having her lover be gone when she woke up. His attention was brought back to the soldiers as they parted, and a familiar man walked through the gap. Cloud raised a single eyebrow as Reno stopped in front of them, with a smirk on his face.

"You guys are too predictable," he said with a sneer that only made Cloud's hand tighten on his hilt even more. He had never liked Reno, and as he looked past the redheads shoulder, he saw Rude behind him, arms crossed. His eyes widened as Reno took in the three teens that were spread behind the three men, and his eyes narrowed.

"I thought they were dead?" he asked. Rude edged up next to him, and the only reaction he had to the boys was a tightening of his hands on his arms. Cloud shrugged, not taking his eyes from Reno, because the man had his hand on his weapon, which Cloud knew could knock him unconscious with one jolt of electricity, even with his enhanced body.

"We needed more help," he said, and wondered why he had even said that much as Reno raised an eyebrow. Cloud cursed at himself in his mind, forgetting how quick and smart the man in front of him was.

"You need more help for what?" Reno asked, and Cloud just shrugged. Reno frowned, and looked over at Rude, who just shook his head. Reno shrugged, and then smiled, turning back to the group.

"So you guys got to play pick-up boys, huh?" Zach asked from Cloud's left side. Cloud laughed softly as Reno's lips tightened, but then he shrugged.

"We follow orders, which is why were here to bring you three back," he said, taking the couple steps forward and grabbing Cloud's arm. Suddenly, two blades were pressed to his throat, and Cloud smirked. Seph's Masamune, and Zach's Buster were resting lightly on Reno's throat, and inside Cloud's head, he knew that Sephiroth and Zach had made the transition from men, to Lover and Brother. Cloud sent a warning to the Anima's to stay away, as Lupus sent a questioning thought to him, feeling the change in the two other men.

"Release him," Sephiroth said quietly, and with a swallow, Reno complied, stepping back. They lowered their blades, but they didn't return them to their backs, holding them at their sides instead.

"You really want to try and take us by force, Reno?" Cloud asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You really want to see if you and your men, are better then three 1st Class SOLDIER's?" Reno swallowed again, and took another step back. It wasn't until then that Zach and Sephiroth released the hold on their alternate selves, allowing them to slip back into hiding. As they did, Reno watched them curiously, and then raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell happened to you two just now?" he asked. Cloud looked at Sephiroth, and as one they turned to Zach, who looked back. The three grinned, and turned back to Reno.

"We hold the fate of the world in our hands," Zach said. Reno blinked, then laughed.

"How about telling me the truth this time?" Cloud laughed, and with a sudden movement that was echoed by Zach, Sephiroth, and then the three teens, the six men jumped into the sky. They landed lightly on the roof of the inn, and racing over its length, jumped off, before disappearing into the night beyond.

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"So Rufus sent people for us," Vincent said quietly. It was a couple hours after the encounter, and they were all situated around a large fire. Cloud nodded, and sighed. 'So much for our night together,' he sent mentally to Sephiroth, who nodded from where he was curled up next to Cloud. The dragon was wrapped around both their bodies where they cuddled under the blanket, and Lupus rested against Cloud's left side, giving what warmth he could. Cloud ran his fingers over the gleaming scales laying across his lap as he thought, and smiled as a puff of smoke came out of Draco's nose.

**That tickles,** the dragon informed him. Cloud laughed softly, and just laid his hand on the reptilian body, looking up and meeting Vincent's eyes.

"I guess he wasn't happy that we all decided to leave," he said quietly. "We were on the eve of a large scale battle, and his top warriors just left. I would be upset too, honestly. When it was only me leaving, he could accept it. But when you, Marlene, Zach, and Sephiroth left too, not to mention Denzel taking off in the middle of the night, he got pissed. We were supposed to be the leaders, the General's of the Army." Vincent nodded, and Marlene wrapped her wings tighter around the two of them, pulling the blanket tighter too. Cloud looked over at Zach, who was huddled with Aquila all by their lonesome under a blanket, and smiled.

'Hey,' he said mentally to Zach. The man looked up, and raised an eyebrow. 'Come over here and sit with us. You two don't need to be by yourselves.' Cloud's heart lightened at the smile that went over Zach's face, before he stood, Aquila nestled in his arms. Cloud nudged Lupus, who stood, and Draco, who grumbled about loosing the warmth, but he untwined his body, then wrapped around only Sephiroth. Zach sat down on Cloud's left side, and wrapped his blanket over Cloud, since one wasn't big enough to fit over three adult men. Aquila nestled himself into the extra warmth with a sigh before closing his eyes, and immediately going to sleep. Lupus rearranged himself so his stomach was to the fire, but his back was pressed along the three men's legs, giving them his extra warmth.

"How would we get a message to Reno, for Rufus?" Sephiroth asked, and everyone's eyes rested on him. He tapped his mouth with one long finger, his eyes troubled and thoughtful. "We need to explain why we came up here. We are trying to save lives by taking on Hojo ourselves. There is no need to involve the Army now, unless we get completely overwhelmed." Cloud sighed, and took out his cell phone, staring at it. He had turned it off soon after leaving Midgar, and he knew that both Zach and Sephiroth had turned off theirs. Cloud looked up to Vincent and Marlene, both of which were already shaking their heads.

"We didn't even bring ours," Marlene said, and Cloud sighed. He somehow got himself disentangled from the rest, and walked over to Fenrir, where he kept an extra charger. He plugged his phone into the bike, where it would charge from, and turned it on. He only had to wait a few moments before it started screaming at him that he had over fifty missed calls. He systematically went through and deleted them, and then did the same with the voicemails. It took him almost fifteen minutes, and by the time he was done, he was shivering in the cold air. He punched in Rufus's number, and holding it to his ear, he waiting for the other blond to pick up.

"ShinRa."

"Rufus, its Cloud."

"Where the fuck are you? Is Sephiroth and the rest with you?"

"Yes, they are here with me. I was calling as a courtesy, so watch it."

"Fine. So why call now?"

"I saw Reno in Bone Village. I was calling to inform you that we plan on infiltrating the Crater to get Denzel and Genesis back."

"Genesis…is back?" Cloud cursed himself, and then glared at Zach and Sephiroth, who only looked back sheepishly. 'We didn't tell anyone,' Zach whispered in his mind, and Cloud growled.

"Yes. Denzel found him when he finally got into the Crater. I'm assuming you knew that Denzel was gone?"

"I assumed he was with you."

"No, he left the night before the battle. There is a weapon that Hojo kept talking about, and Denzel decided to go retrieve it. Were going after him. So tell the Army to stay away for right now, and we will be back as soon as possible." Cloud hung up even as Rufus was saying something else. He opened his mouth to deliver a scathing tirade to his two friends, but something cracked behind him. He had time to turn around and unsheathe his sword, and the monster was upon him. With one powerful stroke, he cut its head off, and the body was dragged from on top of his. Cloud stood with the help of Zach, and looked around. Everyone was on their feet, weapons out and at the ready, their backs to the fire. Cloud joined them, and as he looked out into the darkness, first one pair of eyes, and then more started gleaming in the firelight. He grinned and laid a hand on Lupus where the wolf was at his side, growling out into the darkness. Draco had his body wrapped around Sephiroth, but his head was even with the mans, and his jaws were parted as he hissed at the creations. Aquila flapped his large wings from his perch on Zach's shoulders, screaming out into the darkness.

"The battle has begun," he said, and then laughed. Zach and Sephiroth joined him, and they opened the doors, their bodies and the animals bursting into flame as the first wave of creations was launched at them.


End file.
